Vasco Dantas unites Freitas Branco and Debussy on his new album

" Préludes | Prelúdios ", the new work by pianist Vasco Dantas, offers a musical fusion, exploring French impressionism and Portuguese modernism.

The renowned Portuguese pianistVasco Dantas has released his sixth album, which pays homage to the composers Claude Debussy and Luís de Freitas Branco, central figures of French impressionism and Portuguese modernism, respectively. This carefully constructed album promises to surprise classical music lovers with its interspersed selection of preludes by both composers.

The idea for this project was born in 2018, during the centenary of the death of Claude Debussy (1862-1918). " I received an invitation to a piano recital at the Marvão International Music Festival and, during the preparation of this concert program, in conversation with Bernardo Mariano (the festival's artistic advisor), I was suggested the Preludes by Freitas Branco ", reveals Vasco Dantas.

It was then that the pianist discovered that Luís de Freitas Branco (1890-1955), after studying in Paris and Berlin, finished his 10 Preludes in the same year as Debussy's death, with a clear inspiration in the impressionist style. " I believed that it would make sense to develop a program around these contemporary composers, and that would combine compositions by both, whose works include a lot of similarity around the impressionist, symbolist and modernist styles. And so the new concert program was born, embryonic of this project ", explains Dantas.

This album, recorded during the 2020 pandemic, also appears as a way of filling the shortage of phonographic records that include the entirety of Freitas Branco's Preludes. The choice was reinforced by the excellent reception from the public and critics at concerts held in several cities around the world, including Vasco Dantas' solo debut at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York.

In this work, the combination of preludes by both composers results in a musical and stylistic symbiosis that stimulates the listeners' imagination. "Impressionism requires just that: imagination (…). Through the same melodies, different people will be able to create distinct and imaginary images, the result of the symbiosis between the musical language heard and their own universe or personal experience", says the pianist.

With "Préludes | Prelúdios", Vasco Dantas intends to continue promoting excellent Portuguese music, reaching new audiences and consolidating his solo career, both nationally and internationally. The album is available for purchase on the pianist's website and provides listeners with a unique sound journey through the musical impressionism of Debussy and Freitas Branco.

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