Joly Braga Santos(1924-88)

[Dundonnell]

If I was asked to name the composer whose music has been the most amazing discovery of the last decade for me personally I would have to name the Portugese composer Joly Braga Santos.

I very much doubt that I had ever heard any Portugese music before finding BS. If I thought about it at all I suppose that I imagined it to sound like the Spanish music I knew: Falla, Rodrigo etc. I tend to prefer music from the Austro-German or Scandinavian world to that of Southern Europe-although that is a wild generalisation

I read the reviews of the BS Marco Polo cds and was encouraged to buy them.

That was the most incredible experience. Symphonies Nos. 1-4 simply blew me away. It appeared that this young Portugese composer-he was but in his early to mid twenties when he wrote these works-had, somehow or other, developed a style of modal composition which reminded me of Vaughan Williams, Sibelius, Ernest Bloch, Respighi all rolled into a whole that was beautifully lyrical and-in the slow movements in particular-most moving. Grand tunes, glorious orchestration and marvellous passion all combined in music which I always find wonderfully life-enhancing. The finale of Symphony No.4 and especially its fantastic peroration has become one of my favourite pieces of music.

It is true that Braga Santos's style changed after he went to study with Hermann Scherchen. His last two symphonies(Nos.5 and 6) are more 'modern' in sound and less appealing to me. I cannot however listen to the earlier symphonies without being utterly amazed that such a young man should be able to compose such wonderful music

If only some of the people who are on to their 20th recording of a Mahler symphony would pause and turn to explore other music by less well known composers

[vandermolen]

Well Colin - here we are again 

You might be interested to hear that I teach a very charming and clever Portuguese girl - I happened to mention JBS (as one does!) expecting her never to have heard of him. However, I'm delighted to say that her great uncle (I think) played in a chamber music group with Braga - Santos and her great grand mother apparently threw them out the house for making too much noise! She has gone home for half-term and is trying to find out more (I have her permission to post anything here) - so stand by for more shocking Braga Santos revelations!

For me too, Braga Santos (symphonies 1-4 and especially 3 and 4) were extraordinary recent discoveries.

[Dundonnell]

Great story, Jeffrey

The advantages of teaching in your Sussex "sink comprehensive"

[vandermolen]

Great story, Jeffrey

The advantages of teaching in your Sussex "sink comprehensive"

hehe 

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I think it's time for me to renew my acquaintance with Braga Santos' music. Glad to meet two experts here...

[vandermolen]

I think it's time for me to renew my acquaintance with Braga Santos' music. Glad to meet two experts here...

Yes, it is your very good fortune to have come across two Braga-Santos experts. There must be one or two more lurking out there. 

[Dundonnell]

Now, now, chaps

We are in very knowledgable company here.....we cannot claim to be "experts"

[lechner1110]

  Symphony no.4 is one of my best unsung-symphony

  Atsushi

[semloh]

Dundonnell, I totally agree with you on this!

I'm listening again to the 2nd Symphony as I type, prompted by your enthusiasm.  Gosh, it's a very powerful work - definitely goosebumps aplenty!    What an amazing first movement!  Not enough emoticons to express a reaction to that!   Although it is a distinctive voice, would you agree that it occasionally recalls RVW?

BTW, you didn't by any chance contribute the page on him at Wikipedia did you?  It's a really nice summary, and ....has a very detailed list of his compositions.

[Dundonnell]

Nice to see some others here apart from the 'usual suspects' from another place

When I initially started listening to the first four Braga Santos symphonies RVW was the composer who did indeed come to mind

I am an absolute sucker for modal music of that kind....and now, pouring out from my speakers, was this glorious, rich, gorgeously tuneful, music written by a young man in his early twenties who, because of the war, cannot have travelled far from Portugal....indeed if at that time he had ever even left the country at all.

I fell in love with his music instantly and that love is as strong now as then. I have played it to friends who have either zero interest or comparatively little interest in 'classical music' and they have been entranced by it. One immediately borrowed the cds to make copies

No...I bear no share of responsibility for the Wikipedia article on Braga Santos. I would guess that the conductor and BS expert Alvaro Cassuto may be involved.
(Wikipedia articles sometimes reference my website.....but that's another story )

If I want cheered up I often turn to the Fourth Symphony. After listening to that everything seems so much better

[vandermolen]

Nice to see some others here apart from the 'usual suspects' from another place

When I initially started listening to the first four Braga Santos symphonies RVW was the composer who did indeed come to mind

I am an absolute sucker for modal music of that kind....and now, pouring out from my speakers, was this glorious, rich, gorgeously tuneful, music written by a young man in his early twenties who, because of the war, cannot have travelled far from Portugal....indeed if at that time he had ever even left the country at all.

I fell in love with his music instantly and that love is as strong now as then. I have played it to friends who have either zero interest or comparatively little interest in 'classical music' and they have been entranced by it. One immediately borrowed the cds to make copies

No...I bear no share of responsibility for the Wikipedia article on Braga Santos. I would guess that the conductor and BS expert Alvaro Cassuto may be involved.
(Wikipedia articles sometimes reference my website.....but that's another story )

If I want cheered up I often turn to the Fourth Symphony. After listening to that everything seems so much better

Great post Colin - my thoughts exactly.

[DennisS]

I too am a keen admirer of Braga Santos's symphonies. As already stated in this thread, BS composed 6 symphonies, four early on and two, in a more modern sound, later in his career. Like others, I rate his early symphonies more highly than his last two. My favourite symphony is also number 4, with its echoes of Bruckner and Sibelius (especially in the first movement). The finale is particularly moving and I fully concur with others in this thread who believe Braga Santos deserves to be far better known.

DennisS

[vandermolen]

A bit more Information about J. Braga Santos from my charming Portuguese student (printed with her permission):

'He and another three friends (including my great-uncle...) had a quartet called 'Os Aguias', which in English means 'The Eagles'. 
According to my grandmother, they used to practice at my family's home, although they were always being told off or kicked out of the house for being 'too noisy' by my great-grandmother.
He was very ugly, although his name is 'Joly' which in French means 'beautiful/handsome/pretty.  My great-uncle would say that my grandmother looked like him to get on her nerves, although my grandmother would find it rather insulting.'

Poor Braga Santos! Not only was he neglected by his own countrymen but also, it seems, not much appreciated by his family either! Still, I did rather well out of this as my student's grandmother sent her back with the Portuguese boxed set of orchestral music by Braga Santos (Marco Polo recordings) which she, very generously, presented to me!

[Dundonnell]

Some teachers, Jeffrey, used to get an apple from their pupils. Some still, if they are lucky, get a Christmas card. Sadly, others, in this day and age, get insults or are the targets of physical aggression.

You-on the other hand-get the Portugese boxed-set of the orchestral music of Joly Braga Santos

I suspect that, whatever the problems of teaching at "Castle Dracula"-you still get the better deal

[vandermolen]

Your message did make me laugh Colin 

Although, take it from me, that Castle Dracula/Colditz has its own full-on stress related themes!

Jeffrey