Joly Braga Santos
20th Century · 1924–1988
Joly Braga Santos wrote six symphonies, and the first four arrived in a rush, all written in his twenties. Born in Lisbon in 1924, he studied with the composer Luís de Freitas Branco, worked steadily as a conductor, and later taught at the conservatory in Lisbon, remaining at the center of Portuguese musical life until his death in 1988.
Those early symphonies are broad, singing works, closer in spirit to Sibelius or Vaughan Williams than to the experimental currents of their time; his later music grew darker and more modern in language. Outside Portugal he went almost unheard for decades, until recordings in the 1990s brought the symphonies a new international audience.
Start with the Symphony no. 4, whose big final tune tends to stay with people. The Symphony no. 2 is the natural next stop.
21 works in the catalog, across 3 genres. Log what you listen to with Opus, the classical music journal for iPhone.
Chamber
- Concerto for strings in D
- Sinfonietta for Strings, op. 35
- String Quartet no. 2 in A minor, op. 27
Orchestral
- Symphony no. 1
- Symphony no. 2 in B minor
- Symphony no. 3
- Symphony no. 4
- Cello Concerto
- Divertimento for chamber orchestra no. 2
- Divertimento for orchestra no. 1
- Double Concerto for violin, cello, strings and harp
- Elegia a Viana da Mota, op. 14
- Nocturno for strings
- Staccato brillante, op. 63
- Symphonic Overture no. 3, op. 20
- Symphonic Variations on a popular song from the Alentejo, for orchestra
- Symphony no. 5
- Symphony no. 6
- Variations for Orchestra, op. 49
- Variações concertantes, for string orchestra, harp and solo string quartet
Stage
- Encuzilhada, ballet in one act
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