Credits:

Alvaro Cassuto

Description:

This is the fourth collection of orchestral works by the Portuguese composer and musicologist Lus de Freitas-Branco (18901955). Symphony No. 4 is his final symphony, a work he painstakingly refined over the course of eight years. Written in a traditional four-movement form, the work is notable for its late Romantic style; the melody played in unison at the beginning quotes the Kyrie from Gregorian chant. The work features relatively little contrapuntal writing; instead, it is dominated by rich harmonies and dynamic melodies throughout. The brass fanfares that suddenly emerge from the dissonance and the string unisons have a compelling effect that instinctively draws the listeners attention. The symphonic poem Vathek was inspired by a tale of the Orient written in French by the English author Beckford. It tells the story of Vatek, who commits every conceivable evil in order to experience every