Fernando Lopes-Graça and Amílcar Vasques-Dias are linked in their musical reflections on Portuguese identity, but at widely differing points in that country’s history. Lopes-Graça transformed traditional songs into poetic and hard-edged statements, helping to create a ‘national collective spirit’ that would not be bowed by dictatorship. Vasques-Dias’s approach to folk culture is based on more personal feelings and emotions, recalling the countryside of his childhood and its landscapes today.
"One of my favourite works is Années de Pèlerinage, by Franz Liszt, in which the pieces relate to paintings, sculptures, poems or legends. I realise now that one of the things that has moved me since I was a child is the possibility to access other forms of art and life through music. For this reason, I decided to research the works Viagens na Minha Terra, by Lopes-Graça, and Lume de chão, by Vasques-Dias, for my PhD. This recording with Grand Piano provides the possibility to present two very personal perspectives on Portuguese culture, sharing its traditional and emotional particularities through the piano." (Joana Gama)
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