Composer: Marcos António Portugal
Performer: Ensemble Turicum
Conductor: Mathias Weibel, Luiz Alves da Silva
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Toccata
Catalogue: TOCC0238
Release: 2014
Size: 357 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Vesperas de Nossa Senhora
01. Sonata in G Major
02. Psalm 109: Dixit Dominus
03. Psalm 112: Laudate pueri
04. Minuette in E-Flat Major
05. Psalm 121: Laetatus sum
06. Psalm 126: Nisi Dominus
07. Psalm 147: Lauda Jerusalem
08. Fantasia in E-Flat Major
09. Magnificat: Canticum beatae Mariae Virginis
Missa a 4 in F Major
10. Sinfonia in D Major (from Artaserse)
11. Kyrie
12. Gloria
13. Laudamus te
14. Gratias
15. Domine Deus
16. Qui tollis
17. Qui sedes
18. Quoniam
19. Cum Sancto Spiritu
The Portuguese-Brazilian composer Marcos António Portugal (1762–1830) was well in his own time for his fifty or so operas, but he has now been entirely forgotten. As well as that huge number of operas, he also composed a huge body of more than 160 religious choral works. The two works here – in their first performances in modern times – illustrate his conservative Classical style as well as revealing the operatic influences on his sacred music. The absence of female voices from the chorus and violins from the orchestra bring an unexpectedly dark colour.
The Ensemble Turicum was founded in 1992 by the Brazilian singer Luiz Alves da Silva and Swiss violinist Mathias Weibel. Comprising both singers and instrumentalists, it works on the basis of historical performance practice and therefore plays with original instruments. Its special area of interest is the music of the Iberian peninsula and of South America, Brazil in particular.