KIND OF CLASSIC
NUNO CÔRTE-REAL
Photo: Jorge Carmona
“Music, according to the Portuguese composer, requires suggestive colors, sensuality, and temperament. In this sense, Côrte-Real sees his mission as a statement against the academic-intellectual ivory tower of contemporary avant-garde. The recording of some of his key symphonic works with the highly motivated Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano perfectly realizes this approach.”
klassik-begeistert.de
on „Rock Symphonies“
“His music possesses great intensity, while also having a lightness that simply brings joy. Such music makes it easy to overcome any reservations about contemporary compositions.”
klassik-begeistert.de
on „Rock Symphonies“
ORQUESTA SINFÓNICA DE
CASTILLA Y LEÓN ORCHESTRA
JOSE REDONDO TUBA
NADÈGE ROCHAT CELLO
RAÚL DA COSTA PIANO
Is Classical Music Dead? Is there now only a standardized sound for everyone? Are the boundaries between classical and popular music being blurred, or do they need to be redrawn? What about genres or ideologies? These are just some of the many questions posed in the modern music scene, including whether it even makes sense to adhere to such terminology anymore. Portuguese composer Nuno Côrte-Real offers an answer with his new CD „Kind of Classic“.
The ideas of what music should be have fundamentally changed. From the Romantic ideal to modern reductionism and other contemporary trends, there is a wide range of opinions. Questions of identity, regarding what and whom classical music represents today, have moved to the forefront, and the rise of subcultures, supported by technological developments, expanded its influence. Added to this were postmodern trends in all their fragmented and multidimensional aspects, leading to a gradual return of tonal compositions and a rediscovery of powerful musical expressions. To paraphrase John Steinbeck, classical music has been dying for centuries, “but never gave up.”
Thus, „Kind of Classic“ is the perfect title for this CD, featuring the world premiere recording of Nuno Côrte-Real’s (b. 1971) „Concerto for Tuba op. 65“ as well as the concertante works „Luar Galego op. 23“ for cello and strings and „Elegia op. 33 B“ for piano and orchestra. It’s hard to say what is classical and what is not. Côrte-Real is one of today’s most highly regarded Portuguese classical composers, known for his rhythm-melodic-harmonic patterns, sometimes reminiscent of the bright minimalism of
John Adams, while never abandoning the primacy of melody (or at least melodic patterns). Characteristic of both Côrte-Real’s music and his personality are his irony and theatricality, with which he questions the uncertainties of the modern world and new stylistic possibilities.
Nuno Côrte-Real is one of the leading figures in Portuguese classical music, looking back on a 20-year career as a composer, conductor, and curator. In his rising international career as a conductor, Côrte-Real has collaborated with numerous orchestras, including the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano, Orquestra Sinfónica de Castilla y León, Symphonic Orchestra of the Hungarian State Opera, and the Orquestra Sinfónica Portuguesa. He has also worked on numerous projects with Ensemble Darcos and with soloists like Shlomo Mintz, Ann Peterson, Nicola Ulivieri, Mats Lidström, Anna Quintans, Artur Pizarro, Elisabete Matos, António Rosado, and many others.
Nuno Côrte-Real is the founder and musical director of Ensemble Darcos and the artistic director of Temporada Darcos, one of the most important international classical music festivals in Portugal. He was a scholarship recipient from the National Cultural Center and was awarded the Medal of Cultural Merit by the City Council of Torres Vedras in 2003. Côrte-Real regularly collaborates with the Portuguese Symphony Orchestra and the choir of the National Opera São Carlos in Lisbon.