Chœur L’Échelle Missa Grande de Marcos Portugal (1762 Lisbonne – 1830 Rio de Janeiro) conducted by Bruno Procopio
The work is inspired by the concertato style and highlights the alternation between choir and soloists.
Marcos Portugal was undoubtedly the most important Luso-Brazilian composer of all time. Known in Europe for his innumerable operas, the majority of his later work is dedicated to religious music. The complete repertoire written for the Royal Chapel of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) comes to 130 works, including monumental compositions like the Missa Grande.
Press
Classiquenews
“The elegant fervor of the young Marcos Portugal. […] Marcos Portugal’s Missa Grande is the very model of the subtle and stylish music of a major composer standing between Mozart and Rossini. […] The performance is worthy of our expectations: a decisive contribution to our better understanding of a virtuoso and inspired composer whose work also enlivened the comic style.”
Resmusica
“Marcos Portugal was, until the release of this album, unknown to the general public. Yet in his lifetime he achieved colossal fame, justified by his unusual productivity. […] The Missa Grande is a reference point in Luso-Brazilian music from the late 18th century for almost a hundred years. […] The discovery of Marcos Portugal’s Missa Grande is indeed an unprecedented event of the highest artistic importance.”