Joly Braga Santos’ Divertimento No. 1 falls between his first period, in which he adopted a modal style reminiscent of Respighi and Vaughan Williams, and his later, more dissonant idiom evocative of Bartók and Ginastera. Based on folk music throughout, the piece might have been a symphony had the composer bothered to toss in a slow movement. As it stands, I haven’t heard anything so perfectly crafted or stunningly beautiful in many a moon. The work opens with elegiac themes on bassoon, oboe, and flute leading to an impassioned climax, immediately followed by an episode in which solo strings come together in a glorious violin cantilena. It’s a breathtaking moment in a delightful work that reveals the hand of a master composer at every point. The Viola Concerto only confirms the impression that this guy really knows how to write. Cast in three movements, slow-fast-slow, and clearly cut from the same cloth as the Divertimento, like all great viola concertos (and heaven knows there aren’t many) the piece takes its emotional cues from the dusky tone of the solo instrument, which weaves an eloquent thread of expressive melody around a colorful, precisely imagined accompaniment. If this doesn’t deserve to become a repertory staple, then nothing does.
The performances were made in Hungary in 1981 under the composer’s supervision, and they are pretty fine. I could imagine a more rich-toned soloist than violist Ana Bela Chaves, but the orchestra and conductor, clearly inspired by the music’s often Bartókian syntax, play as though they’ve known these pieces from the beginning of time. The recording, as with most Hungaroton productions of this period, sounds a bit dry and bright, but never annoyingly so. It’s difficult to over-praise the quality of the music on offer here, and more’s the pity that Strauss/Portugalsom productions, sponsored by the Portuguese Ministry of Culture, do not enjoy international distribution. Fortunately, this disc can be ordered at a very reasonable price directly from Portugal by contacting [email protected]. Thank God for the internet!
