Ana Beatriz Manzanilla - violin

Francisca Fins - violin

Pedro Saglimbeni Muñoz - viola

Fernando Costa - cello

Program:

Fernando Lopes-Graça – Suite Rustica nº 2

  – Melancolico
  – Danzante
  – Scherzoso
  – In modo di Ninna-Nanna
  – Gaio

Heitor Villa-Lobos – Melancolia (uit kwartet nº 1)

Joly Braga-Santos – Kwartet nº 2 in a-klein op. 27

  – Largo-Allegro moderato
  – Adagio molto
  – Largo-Allegro molto vivace

This year, we celebrate the 500th anniversary of the birth of Luís de Camões, the iconic embodiment of Portuguese language and culture. This musical program pays tribute to Camões's legacy through works that, each in its own way, evoke the soul of a people, collective memory, and the universality of human emotion—central themes in the poet's work.

We open with the Suite Rústica No. 2 by Fernando Lopes-Graça, a composer who, like Camões, returned to his traditional roots to distill an artistic identity from them. The five short movements—from the nostalgic Melancólico to the exuberant Gaio—present a soundscape characterized by the expressiveness of traditional folk music, as if each dance and melody evoked the distant echoes of an inner epic poet. Next, Melancolia from Quartet No. 1 by Heitor Villa-Lobos brings us closer to the introspective dimension of Camões' poetry—the fado, lost love, the reflection on time and existence. Although Brazilian, this piece has the same Portuguese-Brazilian spirit that connects Camões to the Atlantic world, where the sense of exile and saudade resonates. The program concludes with Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 27 by Joly Braga Santos. Its powerful and lyrical expression dialogues with Camões' humanist and heroic ideals. The alternation between moments of solemnity, lyricism, and musical bravado evokes passages from the epic poem Os Lusíadas, in which fate, the sea, and the homeland merge into a single voice. Thus, this selection of works is not merely a musical tribute, but a gesture of cultural continuity – paying tribute in sounds to Camões’ enduring heritage.

Camerata Atlântica is a musical project founded by Venezuelan violinist Ana Beatriz Manzanilla, its artistic director. It consists of 11 professional string musicians, but the Camerata is so flexible that it can be expanded to a wider ensemble, depending on the repertoire being performed. Since its first concert in November 2013, Camerata Atlântica has performed at various international festivals. In 2023, it participated in the production of Britten's opera "The Turn of the Screw" at the Belém Cultural Centre in Lisbon. Camerata Atlântica is scheduled to perform in various Spanish cities, including Madrid, Burgos, Cádiz, and Vigo. In May 2016, they were selected by the classical radio station Antena 2 to perform "Fuga para a América Latina" at the conclusion of the European Broadcasting Union's special series entitled "The Influence of Latin America." It was later broadcast in Germany, Bulgaria, Croatia, Spain, Greece, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Romania. In 2021, they released their second CD, Bows Up!, on Naxos. It was dedicated to Portuguese string music from the 20th and 21st centuries. Camerata Atlântica focuses primarily on Portuguese music through performances and recordings of an extensive repertoire of Portuguese composers and major premieres of works, several of which are dedicated to the ensemble.

More information: Camerata Atlantica

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