"harpaXXI.pt" is a CD by Salomé Pais Matos , featuring Portuguese music from the 21st century, for solo harp. The challenge that the harpist posed to a group of composers on the theme of "Portugal" resulted in a cocktail of different visions on the past, present and future of the Portuguese-speaking world, revealing the eclectic plasticity of the environments, styles and sounds. The chameleon-like interpretation brings the works to life, resulting in a dynamic and timeless CD.

 

Works and composers:

1 - “Prelúdio ao Rio”: composed by Vasco Abranches , premiered at the Rio Harp Festival in 2016. The title is a play on words between Rio de Janeiro and the Tagus River. It is a combination of the serenity of flowing water with more rhythmic elements.

2 - “O lugar suspenso”: award-winning work by Mariana Vieira in 2017. It is an extraordinary harmony between electronics, their effects, and the sound of the harp. It contains the simplicity of suspended phrasing, harmonics, glissandos, among other effects conducted with fluidity. It is a real duet, where it is difficult to understand where the sound of the harp ends and that of the electronics begins. It is an astute exploration of the sound of the harp and its contemporary "voices".

3 - “Jogos e Danças”: by pianist and composer Diogo Vida , a work of a completely different nature, full of contrast, including agitated and serene moments and even a playful ending.

4 - “Prelúdio à deriva”: inspired by the close relationship between the Portuguese and the sea. This work by João Antunes is based on Versos ao Mar by Sebastião da Gama. In its abstract, the music conveys the sense of a ship rocking and moving on the high seas.

5 - “4 Canções do Cante Alentejano”: by the composer José Martins, it evokes the tradition of Alentejo singing, an intangible heritage of humanity ( UNESCO) . It shows the warm plains, the four melodies describe life in the Alentejo, passing through the singing of birds, the peasants, the parades of philharmonic bands, etc. At the end, one feels the serene warmth of a late afternoon.

6 - “Tece-se a trama, Cante Tejo Alfama”: by Daniel Schvetz , it is full of scenarios, a true musical cocktail of Portuguese identity. Inspired by folklore, such as fishermen’s songs, Alentejo songs and fado, it combines with the modernism of Almada Negreiros and his Anti-Dantas Manifesto, a rejection of traditionalism. It is a work with tape, in which the harp empathetically dialogues with the variation of environments.

 

Recording and Mastering:

Recorded at Atlântico Blue Studios and mastered at Estúdio Pé de Vento , by Fernando Nunes (Naná). In order to capture the real sound of the harp, Naná captured even more, the "silences" of this instrument.

 

Graphic Composition:

The graphic design of the CD was carried out by Luís Henriques, from the typography, silkscreen and publishing studio, O Homem do Saco , and printed by hand. The purchase of this CD includes not only the Music, but also a unique piece of graphic art, as no two covers are the same.