Banda Sinfónica de Alcobaça

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Closing of Cistermúsica Fronteiras

The Sinfonia Amadeo pays tribute to the great Portuguese painter of the same name, Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso (1887-1918). Conceived to commemorate the centenary of his death in 2018, it was completed in 2021, commissioned by the Banda Musical de Amarante (the musical band of Amarante, Amadeo's hometown). The proposal to set Souza-Cardoso's paintings to music came from conductor Hugo Folgar and is part of a larger project to pay tribute, through music, to great figures of Amarante culture. For me, as a self-confessed admirer of painting in general and Amadeo in particular, it was an honour to accept this challenge. But at the same time, it was also a cause for some apprehension about the best way to approach the iconic works of that giant of modernist painting musically, especially in an art form as diametrically opposed to it as the ephemeral art of sound. In the end, I chose to take from each of the paintings I selected (six in total) some detail, either quite obvious or quite insignificant, that struck me and inspired me. The six movements of the symphony are thus a journey through Amadeo's imagery, but they are not intended to be representative of his catalogue or his stylistic evolution. The choice of paintings, for example, was based purely on my personal taste, and the resulting music remains pure and abstract, as it was never my intention to accurately describe the paintings. The inspiration from Amadeo is always present, undeniable and acknowledged, but I intend my symphony to be an autonomous work of art that can (and should) be appreciated on its own merits.

Luís Carvalho

Programme
Luís Carvalho (1974- )
Sinfonia Amadeo
(para banda sinfónica)
I. Entrada (Fanfarra)
II. Canção Popular – a Russa e o Fígaro
III. Procissão Corpus Christi
IV. Dom Quixote
V. Canção Popular e Pássaro do Brasil
VI. Final (Sem título)

Performers
Luís Carvalho, musical direction

Information
If you have any questions, please contact us:
Tel. 967 716 647 or info@cistermusica.com