Santoro: Symphonies Nos. 11, 12 & Other Orchestral Works

“This fine release is the second volume in an ongoing cycle devoted to Santoro’s symphonic music. The excellent, committed performances are well recorded in fine sound... The programme unquestionably
reveals his real stature as a symphonist.”

“… These impressive and rarely heard works are all played with absolute conviction and panache by the Gioás Philharmonic under Neil Thomson, and the recordings are crystal-clear.”

“These two late symphonies by the Brazilian Claudio Santoro are very different beasts. The 11th is packed full of Shostakovich-like angst and aggression while the 12th is a refined sinfonia concertante, highlighting nine excellent soloists.” **** 

“If you are the kind of classical listener who has been looking for something outside the standard repertoire, this inexpensive disc may act as something of a revelation. The music of Claudio Santoro is full of virtuosity and orchestral invention, and is here provided with the greatest possible advocacy – in fact, it’s a disc that will have listeners wondering what other pieces by Claudio Santoro the enterprising company Naxos may provide us with in future…”

“…they [Goiás Philharmonic Orchestra] demonstrate their feel for the music of their homeland, enriched here with influences from Bach and Brahms. In this set, the chamber music aspects are emphasized more strongly, showing that the individual musicians, rather than the orchestra, are also worth listening to. With three premiere recordings, in addition to the Bach fragments, an upbeat and exciting journey to sounds largely unknown in Europe opens up.” *****