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"... in every respect very recommendable‚ the Northern Sinfonia’s virtuosity matched by Andrew Walton’s fine sound. A splendid disc." - Gramophone "... a big string sound aided by the enclosed acoustic. Their gutsy playing under Braga Santos specialist Cassuto is indicative of their application to some desperately unfamiliar music ... - MusicWeb International "... features some interesting music from his later, more dissonant period ... some of Braga Santos' most appealing music ... Cossuto leads the Northern Sinfonia in a trenchant, rhythmically vital performance ... the Concerto for Violin, Cello, Strings and Harp arrives at a Bartokian synthesis of folk and modernist elements that, while still challenging, offers ample rewards on repeated listening." - ClassicsToday.com "Five Stars ... the comparatively early but superbly assured Concerto for Strings will appeal directly to any fan of (Vaughan Williams) or Howells ... Braga Santos was, however, a steady developer in his own terms, as the other works in this programme eloquently demonstrate. The Sinfonietta for 12 solo strings (is) given an intense and exciting performance here ... (the two later concertante works) are very impressive ... vital and idiomatic performances. The playing and recording are of a high standard." - BBC Music Magazine Portugal's foremost conductor Álvaro Cassuto continues his acclaimed series devoted to gifted composer Joly Braga Santos, undoubtedly the leading Portuguese symphonist of the 20th century. This installment, recorded in April 2001, features Cassuto and the Northern Sinfonia on four works for strings that reflect clearly enough the musical evolution of Braga Santos. For that reason the pieces follow the chronological order of their composition between 1951 and 1968. Throughout the programme Cassuto and his forces convey the richness and variety of the composer's music; indeed, each of these, though written for the same instrumental ensemble, has its own characteristic, both stylistically and instrumentally.