“These premiere recordings of Portuguese music of the last two decades cosy up to our ears through the agency of the Matosinhos String Quartet … There are no popular ‘sweeteners’ to dilute the savour: just four works by composers from Portugal, all written in the two years 2016 and 2017… hey are all played with conviction and engagement. Just what you might expect from an ensemble who commissioned these works. With the exception of a few moments in the Azevedo, all four are relaxed and often light of heart. The Matosinhos’ ‘design remit’ was directed towards music inspired by “melodies, dances and stories from Portuguese traditional folklore”.”