Portuguese orchestral music was scarce until the 20th century, when composers were able to build on the great legacy of Luís de Freitas Branco. Joly Braga Santos’s Concerto in D minor is one of his best-loved early works, blending Alentejo folk songs with the sophistication of Vaughan Williams and Walton. Sérgio Azevedo is renowned for his neo-Classical style, reviving the concerto grosso in his homage to Bartók, the Music for Strings. (Naxos)
