Joly Braga Santos (1924 - 1988)

Introduction
José Manuel Joly Braga Santos was born in 1924 and died in 1988 in Lisbon, Portugal. He was a composer and conductor who wrote six symphonies. He also wrote three operas, chamber music, film scores, and choral works based on poems.

Santos studied violin and composition under Luís de Freitas Branco at the National Conservatoire of Lisbon. While studying abroad, he studied conducting with Hermann Scherchen and Antonino Votto and composition with Virgilio Mortari. His first four symphonies were written between 1946 and 1951, and were performed by the Portuguese Radio Symphony Orchestra right after they were published, and were met with great success. Pedro de Freitas Branco, the conductor and founder of the Portuguese Radio Symphony Orchestra, helped to launch Santos' career during the 1950s. Branco also premiered several of Santos' pieces internationally around Europe. Other works written by Santos in this period include Concerto for Strings, Variations on an Alentejo Theme, and three Symphonic Overtures.

After the 1960s, his style changed and became more chromatic. This change was brought on after his travels studying abroad with Hermann Scherchen, Antonino Votto, and Virgillo Mortari. He described his travels as a "useful period of rest" and allowed him to develop a less traditional style with increased chromaticism. The works from this period include his 5th and 6th symphonies, Divertimento no. 2, and the Requiem.

In his later life, he lectured on composition at the National Conservatoire of Lisbon and was one of the founder of the Juventude Musical Portuguesa (Portuguese Musical Youth). He also was involved with journalism and produced many newspaper writings and journals.

In 1988, he died in Lisbon of a stroke.

Concerto in D Major for Strings (1951)
This work was written at the end of Santos' early period. It includes three movements; I. Largamente II. Adagio and III. Allegro. It was performed on May 27th, 2017 in the San Domenico Church at the Alba Music Festival in Alba, Italy. It was performed by the Chamber Orchestra of Cascais and Oeiras (OCCO) with Nikolay Lalov conducting.

Observations
Santos was regarded as the leading Portuguese symphonist of the 20th century, and even of all time. He is known for his natural sense of orchestration and strong musical structure. His music can be described as dramatic. In his early works, Santos aimed to bridge the gap between contemporary music and the Portuguese Renaissance.

Awards and Honors
The Three Symphonic Sketches (1962) were distinguished by Donemus in 1963

The 5th Symphony was distinguished by the Tribune Internationale des Compositeurs (UNESCO) in 1966.

The recording of the Symphony no. 4 by Naxos/Marco Polo, performed by the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland and conducted by Álvaro Cassuto received the Cannes Classical Award for the CD Premier category in 2004.

Santos was distinguished with the Order of Santiago de Espada by President of the Republic of Portugal in 1977.