FESTIVAL CRIASONS

I-Tunes

OPUS ENSEMBLE - DUO CONTRACELLO 

QUARTETO LOPES-GRAÇA

A project

To bring to light and establish works of Portuguese musical creation is a cultural objective shared by the three founding groups of Musicamera - Opus Ensemble, Duo Contracello and Quarteto Lopes-Graça. 

It is increasingly important to continue this effort, in the name of which the Opus Ensemble, has taken Portuguese chamber music to the four corners of the world.

To privilege works of Portuguese authorship shows an awareness that, in the contemporary world, the identity of a people, especially in Europe / Nation, is defined, first of all, by their cultural values, which prevail over geographic and economic ones and lead to their full development and differentiation. It is not by chance that we find cultural activity to be among the five most productive economic sectors of the developed World.

We also consider that there does not exist any endogenous motive for the low interest demonstrated by the national public for their own “erudite” musical creation.

This trend is not verifiable in other related areas, such as theatre and dance, activities which have managed to find a permanent place in programming and audience preference.

It is our understanding that the fundamental reason for this detachment may be found in the incapacity that music has demonstrated in promoting and acquiring “discursive fluency” and visibility in the media, with the aim of getting closer to the general public and thereby reaching levels of consumption equivalent to those enjoyed by other national genders such as fado, jazz, Portuguese rock and other urban expressions.

To achieve this there are two essential conditions: a serious investment by the artists – both creators and performers – and a helping hand from the State with which to counteract the timidity of many programmers and cultural agents. That has been the attitude of the Ministry of Culture (Direcção Geral das Artes) and it allowed us to get were we are now. 

It is our belief that chamber music groups, in permanent dialog with other artistic expressions, are fundamental vehicles 

for the realization of this task using the versatility and economy of resources which are their privilege.

Details:

FESTIVAL CRIASONS - Tendências da Música de Câmara Portuguesa Contemporânea

OPUS ENSEMBLE

DUO CONTRACELLO

QUARTETO LOPES-GRAÇA

Sérgio AZEVEDO [Coimbra,1968]

Concertino de Câmara (2010) 

Obra dedicada ao Opus Ensemble

Estreia Mundial no Festival CRIASONS

1. Deciso (Ana Bela)

2. Mesto (Bruno)

3. Intermezzo gravíssimo (Alex)

4. Valsa (Olga) 

5. Finale (Pedro) 

Jorge COSTA PINTO [Lisboa, 1932]

6. Bi-tone Scherzo, op. 106 (2010) 

Obra dedicada ao Opus Ensemble

Estreia Mundial no Festival CRIASONS

Anne VICTORINO D’ALMEIDA [Poissy, França, 1978]

Quarteto da Serra D’Arga (2010) 

Obra dedicada ao Quarteto Lopes-Graça

Estreia Mundial no Festival CRIASONS

7. Andante

8. Scherzo – Tarantella

9. Moderato tranquillo

10. Vivace e Fuga

Jorge COSTA PINTO [Lisboa, 1932]

Quarteto de Cordas op. 104, nº 1, Fado Luso (2009) 

Obra dedicada ao Quarteto Lopes-Graça

Estreia Mundial no Festival CRIASONS

11. Andante

12. Allegro

Amílcar VASQUES-DIAS [Badim, 1945]

13. Prelúdio à Sesta das Cigarras (2010) 

Obra dedicada ao Quarteto Lopes-Graça

Estreia Mundial no Festival CRIASONS

Alexandre DELGADO [Lisboa, 1965]

Burlesca (1991/2)

Obra gravada pelo Duo Contracello em 1996, integrada no cd Num 1055

14. Animato

15. Presto

16. Poco meno presto

Ref.: NUM 1218

PORTUGUESE MUSIC FOR A QUARTET

QUARTETO LOPES-GRAÇA

I-Tunes:

This CD presents the world-premiere recording of António Victorino D’Almeida’s latest String Quartet, op. 148, as well as the first performances on disc by a Portuguese quartet playing two works of Fernando Lopes-Graça from 1966: Suite Rústica No. 2 and Quatorze Anotações. This recording also marks the premiere of the recently formed Lopes-Graça Quartet, which consists of musicians from the National Conservatory of Lisbon. The experience and mastery of these musicians, as well as their close ties with both composers (violinist Luís Cunha worked with Lopes-Graça, while António Victorino D’Almeida’s quartet was written expressly for this group), imbue these energetic and insightful performances with an uncommon understanding of this powerfully expressive repertoire.

Details:

VIOLINS

LUÍS PACHECO CUNHA

ANNE VICTORINO D’ALMEIDA

VIOLA

ISABEL PIMENTEL 

CELLO

CATHERINE STRYNCKX 

António VICTORINO D’ ALMEIDA

Quarteto, op. 148 (2007)*

1. Andantino non troppo 06’28’’

2. Scherzo – Allegro non troppo 08’31’’

3. Allegro 03’54’’

4. Allegro assai 06’25’’

* Obra dedicada ao Quarteto Lopes-Graça

* Work dedicated to the Lopes-Graça Quartet

Fernando LOPES-GRAÇA

5/18. Catorze Anotações (1966) 08’32’’

14 Annotations

Suite Rústica nº 2 (1966)

Sobre cantos e danças tradicionais portuguesas

On Portuguese songs and dances

19. Melancólico 02’03’’

20. Danzante 02’46’’

21. Scherzoso 01’20’’

22. In modo di ninna nanna 02’45’’

23. Gaio 02’11’’

Total 44’55’’

LOPES-GRAÇA QUARTET

The members of this Quartet, formed at the School of Music of the National Conservatory (Lisbon - Portugal), are musicians possessing outstanding solo and chamber careers who are also teachers at that institution. This project intends to bestow on its Conservatory, as happens at many of its fellow schools around the world, a group of reference in the area of string performance capable of developing permanent teaching activity (quartet master-classes) as well as promoting the school, both in Portugal and abroad. 

The ensemble performed in the most recent editions of the “La Folle Journée” Festival at the Cultural Centre of Belém, Lisbon, as well as in the Festival “In search of a Lost Concert House”, in Lisbon, and in many other major venues, including anniversary commemorations for Lopes Graça and Mozart.

It devotes special attention to repertoire by contemporary Portuguese composers, having given several world premieres of such works. One important example, a concert given last December in Andorra on the theme of “the Portuguese musical tradition of the 20th century,” deserves particular mention.

Its first CD includes major works by Lopes-Graça and Antonio Victorino d’Almeida.

Ref.: NUM 1182

QUARTETO LOPES-GRAÇA - PORTUGUESE MUSIC FOR A QUARTET

I-Tunes:

This CD presents the world-premiere recording of António Victorino D’Almeida’s latest String Quartet, op. 148, as well as the first performances on disc by a Portuguese quartet playing two works of Fernando Lopes-Graça from 1966: Suite Rústica No. 2 and Quatorze Anotações. This recording also marks the premiere of the recently formed Lopes-Graça Quartet, which consists of musicians from the National Conservatory of Lisbon. The experience and mastery of these musicians, as well as their close ties with both composers (violinist Luís Cunha worked with Lopes-Graça, while António Victorino D’Almeida’s quartet was written expressly for this group), imbue these energetic and insightful performances with an uncommon understanding of this powerfully expressive repertoire.

Details:

PORTUGUESE MUSIC FOR A QUARTET

Lopes-Graça Quartet

VIOLINS

LUÍS PACHECO CUNHA

ANNE VICTORINO D’ALMEIDA

VIOLA

ISABEL PIMENTEL 

CELLO

CATHERINE STRYNCKX 

António VICTORINO D’ ALMEIDA

Quarteto, op. 148 (2007)*

1. Andantino non troppo 06’28’’

2. Scherzo – Allegro non troppo 08’31’’

3. Allegro 03’54’’

4. Allegro assai 06’25’’

* Obra dedicada ao Quarteto Lopes-Graça

* Work dedicated to the Lopes-Graça Quartet

Fernando LOPES-GRAÇA

5/18. Catorze Anotações (1966) 08’32’’

14 Annotations

Suite Rústica nº 2 (1966)

Sobre cantos e danças tradicionais portuguesas

On Portuguese songs and dances

19. Melancólico 02’03’’

20. Danzante 02’46’’

21. Scherzoso 01’20’’

22. In modo di ninna nanna 02’45’’

23. Gaio 02’11’’

Total 44’55’’

LOPES-GRAÇA QUARTET

The members of this Quartet, formed at the School of Music of the National Conservatory (Lisbon - Portugal), are musicians possessing outstanding solo and chamber careers who are also teachers at that institution. This project intends to bestow on its Conservatory, as happens at many of its fellow schools around the world, a group of reference in the area of string performance capable of developing permanent teaching activity (quartet master-classes) as well as promoting the school, both in Portugal and abroad. 

The ensemble performed in the most recent editions of the “La Folle Journée” Festival at the Cultural Centre of Belém, Lisbon, as well as in the Festival “In search of a Lost Concert House”, in Lisbon, and in many other major venues, including anniversary commemorations for Lopes Graça and Mozart.

It devotes special attention to repertoire by contemporary Portuguese composers, having given several world premieres of such works. One important example, a concert given last December in Andorra on the theme of “the Portuguese musical tradition of the 20th century,” deserves particular mention.

Its first CD includes major works by Lopes-Graça and Antonio Victorino d’Almeida.

Ref.: NUM 1182