Orquestra Real Câmara and Officium Ensemble
Release of the album
FREE ENTRANCE
Cistermúsica 2025 festival presentation concert
IN PARASCEVE — Good Friday Responsories by José Joaquim dos Santos (Óbidos, 1747 - Lisbon, 1801)
In the second half of the 18th century, various instrumental solutions without violins associated with the sacred repertoire emerged in the context of the Portuguese court. Among these were works with concertante violas for Holy Week, which became commonplace not only in the daily music of the court, but also in Portuguese music in general. This tradition was probably the result of the strong influence of Neapolitan music in Portugal, as part of a practice of including solo bass instruments in liturgical moments of special gravity, such as Holy Week or the Day of the Faithful Departed. Among the composers of the Patriarchal Chapel who wrote for this instrumentation, José Joaquim dos Santos stands out. Born in Óbidos in 1747, he entered the Patriarchal Seminary in 1754, where he was a pupil of the Neapolitan David Perez. At the end of his studies, in 1763, he joined the teaching staff of the institution where he remained throughout his career, firstly as a substitute for the Master of Solfa and assistant to the 1st master of the Seminary, rising to the position of full Master in 1773. From 1770 onwards, his duties included composing for the Patriarchal Chapel, and all of his output was eminently sacred.
His set of works for violas concertantes includes a cycle for Holy Week with three sets of Lamentations and Responsories (for Holy Thursday, Friday and Saturday), a Miserere, as well as a Stabat Mater. The latter was the only sacred work printed in Lisbon in the second half of the 18th century, printed at the Royal Music Factory of Francisco Domingos Milcent in 1792.
This Stabat Mater will be the only work by the composer that continues to merit attention today, with most of his output still to be recovered.
This programme is part of a project by the Royal Chamber to recover and record the work of José Joaquim dos Santos and presents, in a modern premiere, the Good Friday Responsories for two violas, bassoon, cello and bass, the manuscript of which is in the National Library of Portugal.
Programme
José Joaquim dos Santos (1747-1801)
Good Friday Responsories
for two concertante violas, bassoon, cello and bass
(P-EVc Ms. 763-771, P-Ln CN 54//1, P-Ln CN 100//6)
IN PRIMO NOCTURNO
Responsorium I: Omnes amici mei
Andante – Andantino – Verso a 2: Adagio – Andantino
Responsorium II: Velum templi scissum est
Andante – Andante – Verso a 3: Adagio – Andante
Responsorium III: Vinea mea electa
Andantino – Sostenuto – Verso a 2: Andantino – Sostenuto
IN SECUNDO NOCTURNO
Responsorium IV: Tamquam ad latronem existis
Andante – Un più di moto — Adagio – Verso a 2: Andantino affetuozzo – Un più di moto — Adagio
Responsorium V: Tenebrae factae sunt
Adagio – Adagio – Verso a 3: Adagio – Adagio
Responsorium VI: Animam meam dilectam tradidi
Andante — Adagio – Andantino – Verso a 2: Andantino – Andantino
IN TERTIO NOCTURNO
Responsorium VII: Tradiderunt me
Adagio non molto – Andante – Verso a 2: Andante sostenuto – Andante
Responsorium VIII: Jesum tradidit impius
Andante – Andante – Verso a 3: Andantino – Andante
Responsorium IX: Caligaverunt oculi mei
Adagio – Adagio – Verso a 2: Adagio – Adagio
Performers
Enrico Onofri, musical direction
Raquel Alão, soprano solo
Rita Filipe, alto solo
Rodrigo Carreto, tenor solo
Hugo Oliveira, bass solo
António Fonseca, reciter
Pedro Teixeira, choir conductor
Real Câmara
Alessandro Tampieri, Maria Cristina Vasi and Krishna Nagaraja, violas I
César Nogueira, Archimede de Martini and Miriam Macaia Martins, violas II
Diana Vinagre and Teresa Madeira, cellos
Marta Vicente, double bass
Tomasz Wesolowski, bassoon
Fernando Miguel Jalôto, organ
Officium Ensemble
Inês Tavares Lopes and Mariana Moldão, sopranos
Maria de Fátima Nunes and Rita Morão Tavares, altos
Jorge Leiria and Simão Pourbaix, tenors
Pedro Casanova and Rui Bôrras, basses
Support: Câmara Municipal de Lisboa · Junta de Freguesia da Misericórdia
Information
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