Braga Santos, Joly
Symphony No. 2; Crossroads (Encruzilhada) Ballet in one act
Alvaro Cassuto, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
Marco Polo 8.225216

What a discovery!

Perhaps I'm a little late joining the growing number of fans of the
orchestral music of Portuguese composer Joly Braga Santos (1924-1988)
but this is the first of the ongoing series of recordings of his music
on Marco Polo to come my way.  And what a discovery!  This is terrific
music.

Braga Santos [I'm told it's pronounced BRAHga SAHNtoosh] said that he
was interested in writing music that had a certain monumentality, and
in this he certainly succeeds, at least in the Second Symphony.  His
first four symphonies were written in his twenties and I've read that
they are all fairly similar, so what I say here may apply generally to
all of those early symphonies.  He wrote the Fifth and Sixth later in
life, and they are reputedly a bit more forward-looking in style.  Let
it be said that nothing in this CD would scare anyone who likes Vaughan
Williams or Sibelius.  There is a good deal of modal writing and some
edginess similar to RVW's and Sibelius's Fourth Symphonies.

Some composers have the ability to grab you within the first few
seconds of any piece they write.  From the evidence of this symphony
and the ballet score, Crossroads, he had that ability.  He also seems
able to create a formal arrangement of his ideas that has both a certain
inevitability or rightness about it and at the same time spring surprises.
It sounds like I might be describing the characteristics of a major
composer, and indeed I may be.  I haven't had enough exposure, at this
point, to enough of his music to make that asseveration with confidence,
but you may be assured that I am going to waste no time in obtaining
more of his recorded works.  I honestly think some of his music may turn
out to be worth nomination for core repertoire status.

Conductor Alvaro Cassuto was a student of Braga Santos and on the evidence
of this recording it is clear that he has a real affinity for his music.
I understand that this is the only one of the series that was played by
the Bournemouth Symphony, but they play as if they've always known these
pieces.  The recorded sound is quite good.

Strongly recommended.

Scott Morrison <[log in to unmask]>