Joly Braga Santos

José Manuel Joly Braga Santos (born May 14, 1924 in Lisbon ; † July 18, 1988 there ) was a Portuguese composer and conductor .

Life

Braga Santos studied violin and composition at the National Conservatory in Lisbon and became a student of Luís de Freitas Branco (1890–1955), the leading Portuguese composer at the time. Four symphonies composed in rapid succession (1947–1950) were successfully performed and made Braga Santos' name internationally known. Contributing to this was that the Portuguese conductor Pedro de Freitas Branco , brother of Luis de Freitas Branco, conductor and founder of the Portuguese Radio Symphony Orchestra in Lisbon, campaigned for the work of Santos on concert tours in Europe.

At the age of 29, Braga Santos began conducting studies with Hermann Scherchen in Austria, and further composition studies in Italy with Virgilio Mortari .

Joly Braga Santos later taught composition himself at the National Conservatory of Lisbon and also conducted the Symphony Orchestra in Porto . As a critic and journalist, he wrote for various Portuguese and foreign newspapers and magazines.

In 1977 Joly Braga Santos was awarded the Portuguese Ordem de Sant'Iago da Espada . He died of a stroke in July 1988.

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Joly Braga Santos is considered the most important Portuguese composer of the 20th century. In his own words, he wanted to " react to the tendency that dominated the previous generation that rejected monumentalism in music ", which he demonstrated with six brilliantly orchestrated symphonies.

The first four symphonies are in the late Romantic tradition, but also show influences from impressionism. Modal themes are sometimes reminiscent of Respighi or Vaughan Williams . Models of the often catchy melody can also be found in Italian opera and late romantic Russian symphonies. From around 1960, Braga Santos' style increasingly took on the influences of contemporary trends and became significantly more chromatic and dissonant . This also applies to the last two symphonies.

Braga Santos also wrote three operas, chamber music in various casts and choral works based on texts by classical and contemporary Portuguese and Spanish poets such as Luís de Camões , Antero de Quental , Teixeira de Pascoaes , Fernando Pessoa , Garcilaso de la Vega , Antonio Machado and Rosalía de Castro .

Others

In 2004, the recording of Joly Braga Santos' 4th symphony with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland under Álvaro Cassutto (released on the Naxos / Marco Polo label) received the Cannes Classical Award in the CD premiere category.

Chronology of the most important works

• 1942: Nocturne for violin and piano
• 1943: Four songs based on poems by Fernando Pessoa for soprano and piano
• 1943: Aria I for cello and piano
• 1944: Siciliana for piano
• 1945: Three sonnets after Camões for mezzo-soprano (baritone) and piano (later orchestrated)
• 1945: 1st string quartet in D minor
• 1945: Acordando sonnet after Antero de Quental for mezzo-soprano and orchestra
• 1946: Symphonic Overture No. 1
• 1947: 1st Symphony in D major "The Heroes and Martyrs of World War II"
• 1947: Symphonic Overture No. 2 in E major
• 1947: Nocturne for strings in B minor
• 1948: Symphony No. 2 in B minor
• 1948: Elegy for Vianna da Motta f. orchestra
• 1949: 3rd Symphony in C minor
• 1950: 4th Symphony in E minor
• 1951: Concerto for strings in D
• 1951: Variations on a Theme from the Alentejo f. orchestra
• 1954: Symphonic Overture No. 3
• 1957: piano quartet
• 1957: 2nd string quartet
• 1958: Mérope, opera in 3 acts
• 1960: Concerto for viola
• 1960: Divertimento I f. orchestra
• 1962: Three Symphonic Sketches
• 1963: Sinfonietta for string orchestra
• 1964: Requiem "In memoriam of Pedro de Freitas Branco"
• 1966: 5th Symphony ("Virtus Lusitaniae")
• 1967: Variations for orchestra
• 1967: Encruzilhada, ballet
• 1968: Concerto for violin, cello, strings and harp
• 1970: Trilogia das Barcas, opera
• 1972: 6th symphony
• 1973: piano concerto
• 1974: Choir pieces based on classical Castilian poems f. A cappella choir
• 1975: 2 motets f. A cappella choir
• 1977: Aria II for cello and piano
• 1978: Divertimento II for string orchestra
• 1982: Cantares Gallegos for soprano and orchestra based on poems by Rosalía de Castro
• 1984: Aria a Tre for clarinet, viola and piano
• 1984: Dance suite for piano, viola, oboe and bass
• 1985: Trio for piano, violin and cello
• 1985: Suite for winds
• 1986: string sextet
• 1987: Cello Concerto
• 1988: Aquella Tarde based on a poem by António Machado, for soprano (tenor) and orchestra
• 1988: Staccato Brilhante for orchestra
• 1988: Improviso for clarinet and piano (last work)