Subtitle Seven Miniatures About "A Castro" by António Ferreira
Date of Composition· 2007
Catalogue Number 68
Dedication
To Inês, my niece
Movements / Parts
1. Colhei, colhei alegres…
2. Meu doce amor…
3. O súbito prazer engana, e erra.
4. Ó Sol claro… ó noite triste!
5. Não sei que hei…
6. Sonhos tristes! Sonhos cruéis!
7. Abraçai-me, meus filhos, abraçai-me.
Instrumentation
Musical Category Soloist(s) and Orch./Ens. and/or Choir
Instrumentation (general) Soprano and Orchestra
Premiere
Date 2007/May/20
Performer(s)
Algarve Orchestra:
Mónica Pais (soprano)
Cesário Costa (conductor)
Organization/Event Alcobaça Municipality / Cistermúsica - Alcobaça Music Festival
Venue Alcobaça Cine-Theatre
Town Alcobaça
Country Portugal
Text / Lyrics
Author of the Text António Ferreira
Title of Poem or Text A Castro
Year 1587
Program Notes
When I approached the Inês de Castro subject, I looked for a text that the character Inês, spoke by herself. So, it was a natural choice to select several excerpts of “A Castro”. The dramatic text written in blank verse, allows that the selection of seven short excerpts sustains the poetic strength of the drama and resumes the legend by António Ferreira (1528-1569) words.
From those excerpts, I structured the piece in seven short movements each one is presented almost without development; however exists a clear connection between them.
Returning to the myth of Inês de Castro, whose story is rather known, is impossible to ignore her tragic end. It is very interesting to find, in the beginning of the text, a happy and excited Inês, by the joy of living. That joy characterized the initial movements, of course, all the dramatic elements happen naturally in the following movements.
The musical discourse develops not far from an operatic way, driven by the soprano, embodying the character of Inês, which relates her own story; but the music is also strongly marked by ideas connected with instrumental writing, characterized mainly by an harmonic thought, valuing interval and acoustic qualities, and by the exploration of the instruments tone qualities, reflecting that way, the feelings lived by Inês in the drama: the initial joy, the ardent love, the secrecy, the evil presage, the anguish, the acceptance of the death, and the farewell to her children.
Commission
Date 2007
Commissioning Body Cistermúsica - Alcobaça Music Festival
Town Alcobaça
Country Portugal
Circulation
Work
Type
Date
Organization/Event
Venue
Town
Country
Performers
Notes
Inv Row
Inês
Performance
2012/Apr/07
Palácio Foz
Çisbon
Portugal
Margarida Marecos (soprano), Isa Antunes (piano)
Notes
Version for Voce and Piano - 2 songs: nos. 2 and 7
Version for Voce and Piano - 2 songs: nos. 2 and 7
Inês
Performance
2012/Apr/12
Casa Verdades de Faria, Museu da Música Portuguesa
Cascais
Portugal
Margarida Marecos (soprano), Isa Antunes (piano)
Notes
Version for Voice and Piano - 2 songs: nos. 2 and 7
Version for Voice and Piano - 2 songs: nos. 2 and 7
Inês
Performance
2012/Jun/09
Sábados às 17h
Auditório Viana da Mota, Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa
Lisbon
Portugal
Orquestra Sinfónica da ESML, Sílvia
Mateus (soprano ), Vasco Pearce
de Azevedo (conductor)
Notes
Inês
Premiere
2007/May/20
Alcobaça Municipality / Cistermúsica - Alcobaça Music Festival
Alcobaça Cine-Theatre
Alcobaça
Portugal
Algarve Orchestra:
Mónica Pais (soprano)
Cesário Costa (conductor)