FRANCISCO DE LACERDA (1869-1934): Almourol, Pantomima, Dans le clair de lune, Heroiques No. 3 (Épitaphe), Trovas for Soprano and Orchestra.

Description: We're able again to offer this hard-to-find recording which was unavailable when we were getting Portugalsom material from the defunct Strauss company. The four short tone-poem-like pieces only total 17 minutes but are moody, evocative and lushly scored with elements of Impressionism and late romanticism combining to good effect. The 14 short songs of the Trovas cycle (lasting 24 minutes), about which there are no notes whatsoever, are in the same musical style, so collectors of Portuguese symphonic music of the late 19th and early 20th centuries who missed this in either of its previous incarnations have a rare third chance now. No texts. Elvira Archer (soprano), Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra; János Sándor. Original 1987 release.