MusicWeb - Crítica de John France

Eurico Tomás de LIMA (1908-1989) Collected Works - Volume 2 Sonata No. 1, in C-sharp Minor (1933) [18:51] Sonata No. 2, in E Minor (1935) [22:07] Sonatina No. 1, in A Major (1938) [7:23] Algarve (Suite for Piano) (1941) [14:30] Sonata No. 3, in A minor (1948 rev.1963) [7:55] Sonatina No. 2, in C Major (1950) [9:34] Sonata No. 4, in F Major (1954) [17:45] Ilha do Paraíso (Suite in six tableaux) (1966) [21:20] Miguel Campinho (piano) rec. Auditório de Academia de Música de Paços de Brandão, 6, 10 August 2012. NUMERICA NUM1249 [73:18 + 67:07] I pride myself on knowing something about the highways and the byways of piano music - both at home and abroad. However pride often comes before a fall! Nevertheless, I cannot imagine how I have got to the age I am, after many years of classical music listening, having missed the works of Eurico Tomás de Lima. One thing that life has taught me is that there is a wealth of music out there that demands to be explored: it is quite simply finding time and opportunity to do it. Firstly, I give a few biographical notes about the composer. Eurico Tomás de Lima was born in Ponta Delgada on the island of São Miguel in the Azores on 17 December 1908. He moved to Lisbon at an early age. He was born into a musical family - his father António was a violinist, conductor, composer and professor of music at the National Conservatory in Lisbon. Portuguese music is a specialised field with which I guess few in the United Kingdom will be totally conversant. It is therefore hardly surprising that de Lima’s piano and composition teachers at the National Conservatory are not even names to me. However, his music history teacher was a certain Luis de Freitas Branco (1890-1955), a well-respected composer who has made an impact outside of his native country. His symphonies are highly regarded: they have been recorded on the Naxos label. After an exemplary period of study in which he gained the highest academic award at the Conservatory, he assumed a career as a recitalist and composer. In 1932 Eurico Tomás de Lima gave his first major piano recital playing his own compositions. His career included concert tours including two major events in Brazil in 1949 and 1952. There were (apparently) numerous recordings for record companies, TV and radio stations in Europe and Latin America. He was a distinguished teacher and had posts in Oporto, Funchal and at the Academia de Amadores in Lisbon. The last part of his career was at the Calouste Gulbenkian Conservatory of Music in Braga from 1972-1978. Due to his ‘liberal’ political views, he was never preferred for any permanent music post in Portugal during the Salazar regime. No recognition was given to his achievement. As a composer, de Lima has written extensively for the pianoforte - especially solo works, but also including concerted pieces. There is also vocal and chamber music in his catalogue. Eurico Tomás de Lima died in June 1989 in the city of Maia. There are typically three groups of works represented here. Firstly, there are all four Piano Sonatas which were composed over a twenty-one year period. Secondly, there are two Sonatinas and lastly a couple of suites - ‘Algarve’ and ‘Ilha de Paraiso’ (Isle of Paradise). I suggest beginning with the two Suites. The first was composed in 1941, after a year with the ‘Cultural Missions of the National Secretariat for Propaganda’. At that time Portugal was a neutral country during the Second World War. During this period de Lima gave concerts across Portugal. The Suite is fundamentally poetic and late-romantic rather than in the more ‘modernist’ style of the Sonatinas. There are eight ‘picture postcards’ none lasting more than three minutes. Each is prefaced by a short commentary in the score which the composer insisted was read out before the performance of each piece. For example No.4 ‘Pota da Piedade’ has ‘With its kisses, the sea embroidered everything, There are here and there small and gentle grottos with crystals/With a childish appearance of children’s gift.’ I guess these words loose a little in the translation - but we get the idea. Some of these ‘pictures’ are very beautiful and drift towards a subdued impressionism. A contemporary reviewer suggested that the suite had a ‘well-worked out structure, large and vibrant inspiration, unique intuition for the descriptive genre, which requires, as we know, unusual sounds in its composition.’ The various movements ‘describe’ a majestic castle, impressive scenery, historical character, a ‘cubist’ village, gardens and waves. But do not take these allusions too seriously - just enjoy the music. The second suite ‘Ilha do Paraíso’ (Island of Paradise) was composed relatively late in 1966. It was written in the beautiful town of Funchal during the year when he was Artistic Director of the Academy of Music and Fine Arts on the island of Madeira. The composer, writing for a newspaper after the first performance, suggested that they ‘could not be insensitive to the beauty of this magical island- I had to express myself in music - beautiful, evanescent and seductive music, which awakens in the hearts of men a world of dream … it is pure music, erudite, serious in romantic idiom, but with lucid expression.’ This suite is in six movements and is infused with both the landscape and the traditions of Madeira. I guess the next place to explore is the two Sonatinas. These are more ‘modern’ in their style than the two suites leaning towards neo-classicism: the musical language is terse and concentrated. They are both full of interest and are not dry or ‘academic’. Francis Poulenc is possibly the referential marker to compare this music to. The first Sonatina in A major was composed in 1938 and is conceived in three movements. I found the ‘andante’ surprisingly reflective for a ‘little sonata’. The last movement is an acerbic ‘moto perpetuo’. The second Sonatina in C major was composed in 1950. The liner notes are correct in stating that de Lima has effectively squared the circle - he has ‘integrated the seemingly irreconcilable elements of classically-inspired form, romantic poetic lyricism, cosmopolitan modernism and dialogue with national folklore’ (folksong). Certainly, the second Sonatina has a confidence that transcends the limited scale of the work. The four Sonatas, define the composer’s achievement. The first was completed in 1933 and the last some twenty years later in 1954. The 1st Sonata in C sharp minor was written in Lisbon. It is clear that the composer was using the classical sonata form as the basis of his essay. De Lima even repeats the exposition in the first movement - which is a truly classical device. The ‘andante’ is a ‘long lyrical song’ of some considerable beauty. The last movement is a ‘pot-boiler’ - here there are nods to American ragtime and jazz. It is a superb conclusion. It is the romantic piano style of Chopin that dominates this music rather than Beethoven. Two years later, de Lima penned the Sonata No.2 in E minor. It is by far the longest piano work that he wrote. He dedicated it to his wife. De Lima has moved away from a rigorous classicism and utilises as more ‘sectional’ structure on the opening ‘allegro appassionato’. The second ‘subject’ is pure operatic fantasy. The Scherzo is regarded as ‘an amusement’ albeit a complicated and virtuosic one. The slow movement seems to have Beethoven as its model: this ‘andante cantabile’ is a quiet, restrained exploration of a variety of textures and pianistic devices. It is often brittle, but ultimately, warmly lyrical. The final rondo, an allegro impetuoso brings this striking sonata to a powerful and largely romantic close. The 3rd Sonata in A minor (1948 rev. 1963) is more like a sonatina in its short, concentrated format. Certainly, the composer has adapted a more ‘modernist’ style than his previous two exercises in the genre. This is not serial music, nor in any way ‘avant garde’. The general impression of the opening ‘allegro risoluto’ is of ‘aggressive music. Gregorian chant appears as one of the elements of this music which reminded me of Debussy. The second movement is quite dry in its effect -with a balance between chromatic and metrical explorations. The final movement is in complete contrast. This is pure virtuosic music written in a ‘bitingly modern style’ yet never too far from the more romantic exemplars such Liszt. Eurico Tomás de Lima’s 4th Sonata in F Major can be regarded as the ‘culmination of a musical voyage of discovery.’ The liner notes suggest that this Sonata has the same integration of disparate elements that are found in the 2nd sonatina -but applied on a much more impressive scale. Beethovian formal procedures, ‘romantic poetics’ and an edgy modernism, the use of folk song materials and a Lisztian virtuosity are keynotes in this work. The work was composed in 1954 and was the first work that the composer recorded for the National Radio in 1956. Included on these CDs are ‘Program Notes’ which are given in Portuguese (Disc 1) and English (Disc 2) It is essential listening to anyone interested in de Lima’s music. The sound quality of these two CDs is excellent. The liner notes are comprehensive, if a little crabbed in their translation from Portuguese. A brief biography of the pianist Miguel Campinho is available on his webpage. I enjoyed virtually every bar of this 2-CD set of Eurico Tomás de Lima’s piano music. Miguel Campinho is a most persuasive advocate for these works. As I mentioned earlier, it is hard to imagine how I can have overlooked this composer. I guess that is because he has not been extensively recorded before - at least out with Portugal. Furthermore it is hardly likely that de Lima will feature in many piano recitals in the United Kingdom. If I was to describe this music in a short sentence it would be ‘Poulenc meets Chopin with introductions from Beethoven’ however, that would be doing all four composers a grave injustice. Yet it gives the innocent ear an idea of what to expect. John France

Musical Pointers & Fanfare Magazine

Seguem abaixo as transcrições integrais das críticas até ao momento publicadas em Língua Inglesa ao 2º Volume da Antologia Discográfica "SABER OUVIR" (Cd Duplo), o qual contém a Integral das Sonatas e Sonatinas do Pianista/Compositor Português Eurico Tomás de Lima (1908-1989) na interpretação do Pianista Miguel Campinho. Este Cd encontra-se disponível para aquisição no Site da Numérica Multimédia, no Amazon e no ITUNES. "Musical Pointers" é um Site Britânico Especializado em Crítica Musical de Cds e o artigo é assinado pelo Pianista Escocês Christopher Guild. "Fanfare Magazine" é uma Revista Norte-Americana Especializada e o artigo de Crítica Musical é assinado pelo Conceituado Crítico Peter J. Rabinowitz.

Crítica(s) 2

TOMÁS DE LIMA Piano Sonatas: Nos. 1-4. Piano Sonatinas: Nos. 1-2. Algarve. Ilha do Paraiso • Miguel Campinho (pn) • NUMÉRICA NUM 1249 (140:25)  Spoken program notes in English and Portuguese It’s just as unfair to call Eurico Tomás de Lima (1908-1989) the Portuguese Medtner as it is to call Medtner the Russian Brahms—but it’s fairer than calling him the Portuguese Messiaen or the Portuguese Carter. Despite a few nods to Iberian folk music (say, in the last movement of the Second Sonatina or the fifth movement of Ilha do Paraiso) and some near-Eastern coloration in the first movement of Algarve, he hews fairly closely (as Miguel Campinho’s lengthy and illuminating notes remind us) to the Austrian-German romantic tradition. And despite some dipping into whole-notes scales and some wrong-note harmonies of the sort Prokofiev was exploring in his early years (the demeanor of the opening movement of the Third Sonata has more than a fleeting resemblance to the idiom of Suggestion diabolique), his music remains loyal to tonality. Old fashioned? Certainly, there’s nothing in any of these compositions that betrays its date of composition. Rather than pursue the new paths represented by the avant-gardes of his time, Tomás de Lima seems (on the evidence here) to have preferred to develop the virtuoso romantic tradition of the generation before him. Thus, for the most part, these are technically challenging works notable for their heroic striving (try the dramatic finale of the Second Sonata), their elaborate textures, and (most striking, I think) their often bittersweet harmonies. But unless you have a dogmatic commitment to art that chases the moving target of the cutting edge, you’ll find plenty to enjoy here—certainly, enough to make you wonder why this music has remained so little known (Tomás de Lima doesn’t even get a bio in the latest Grove). Granted, there are moments where he strait-jackets his rhythms and phrases; there are moments of gestural doggedness (“Penha d’Águia,” from Ilha do Paraiso, seems almost like a Hanon Etude); and there are spots, in the more illustrative music, where the music doesn’t quite match the supposed subject (we’re told that the third movement of Algarve represents “the famous conqueror of the kingdom of the Algarve” as he “arrives tempestuously in a cavalry charge against the infidels,” but the music sounds a lot jollier and more whimsical than that). Still, the overall quality is strikingly high. Favorite moments? The emotional surge that launches the first movement of the First Sonata; the dizzy clatter of the toccata that rounds off the First Sonatina; the whimsical quirkiness of Jardins de Estói (from Algarve), a clear descendent of Liadov’s Musical Snuff Box; the tender lyricism that interrupts the first movement of the Second Sonata. If you’ve taken to such other outdated romantics as Bortkiewicz and Boyle (see 36:1), you owe it to yourself to give Tomás de Lima a try. We’re told that Tomás de Lima was a virtuoso pianist himself—and that he was a persuasive advocate for his own music. Apparently, he made some radio recordings back in the day—but I’ve never heard them, and about half of these new performances are advertised as world premiere recordings. In any case, he has a committed advocate in Miguel Campinho. There may be a touch of strain in some of the denser passages, and a want of color in spots where Tomás de Lima plays on delicacy; but for the most part, the performances grip your attention. Perfectly adequate sound, too. All in all, a welcome introduction to an essentially forgotten composer. Peter J. Rabinowitz

Crítica(s)

Obras para Piano de Eurico Tomás de Lima (1908-1989) Miguel Campinho, piano Numerica Multimedia NUM 1249 Eurico Tomás de Lima [L] This release on ‘Numerica’ chronicles the piano works of one of Portugal’s most important composer-pianists of the last 150 years, Eurico Tomas de Lima (1908-89). The two-disc set, the second volume in the series, presents all Tomas de Lima’s Piano Sonatas, along with two Sonatinas and two suites, and are inspired by and portraying elements of his native land. It makes for enjoyable listening, with several works notable for their poignant lyricism, glorious colouristic effects and a distinctly nationalistic flavour. The works on offer here span 33 years (1933-66), and it is certainly interesting to trace the evolution and exploration of the various styles which Tomas de Lima assimilates over this period. His earlier works are of a late romantic style - for instance, Sonata No.1 (1933 - listen especially for the second movement, with its heart-wrenchingly beautiful theme and searching harmonic progressions), but only a few years later in Sonatina No.1 in A minor the composer has begun to explore a quasi-neclassical language not too far away from that of Poulenc. Sonata No.3 of the late 1940’s certainly has great bite to it, being immediately more hard-edged than any of the other works here, and less overtly emotional. Musical language aside, what does evolve and indeed improve with time is Tomas de Lima’s control of structure. Sonata No.1 suffers heavily from much repetition which weakens the first movement. Much of the extended passagework through certain pieces is a little empty. One might argue that such instances can be ‘made good’ through performance, and, being a concert pianist himself, the composer may well have utilised repetitive writing as a means to explore pianistic sonority extempore. Help is needed from the performer if this music is to be truly sold to new listeners. Compositional weakness is not such an issue with the later works, and the Sonatina are much more convincing in their economy of means and immediacy of expression. The two Suites here are fine sets of Tableaux which successfully portray an essence of Portugal. In the case of Algarve, ‘commentaries’ were written for Tomas de Lima by Fernando de Araujo Lima. Miguel Campinho is an audibly enthusiastic advocate of his compatriot’s music, but much of his playing lacks the necessary sensitivity to fully realise many of the special qualities inherent in the music. He tends to be rather heavy-handed, at times too direct in his touch when cantabile must surely be needed, and often there are instances when he could let the music dance just a little more, and flow with greater ease. Particularly distracting are some audible pedal changes, especially those done in rapid succession. Campinho’s liner notes - informative, if a little dry - are in his native Portugese, with a clumsy English translation. A nice touch is that Numerica have recorded the notes, as printed in the sleeve, and those are found by the last track on each disc. Eurico Tomas de Lima is undoubtedly a composer whose works should be heard, and many of them would be effective in any piano recital. Their vernacular charm and exuberance are blended with influences of Poulenc, Debussy, Rachmaninov and Liszt. Christopher Guild