JOÃO ARROYO

OBRA PARA CANTO E PIANO

The recording of João Arroyo’s songs fills in one of the many gaps that still exist in Portuguese musical heritage documentation. Marina Pacheco (soprano) discovered the 21 songs in Biblioteca Nacional Portuguesa - sixteen of which in manuscript and five (Op.16, Op.17 and Op.18) in published editions by the German Publisher B. Schott’s Söhne (1909).

According to the monograph by Júlio Eduardo dos Santos (João Arroyo, Notas sôbre a sua personalidade e obra, Lisbon 1941), with the exception of Cancioneiro Op.21, all songs were published by this editor, but a research in Arroyo’s files confirmed only the publication of Op.16, Op.17 and Op.18.

Since Arroyo didn’t consider himself a composer by profession, it gives us the suspicion he felt free to care much more about the expressiveness of the music than about harmony and counterpoint.

The result is a very touching, imaginative and unusual composition. For musician’s it’s a great technical and interpretive challenge to perform the composer’s intentions, thoroughly written in the scores.

To João Arroyo’s memory all those in Portugal who love the divine art of Music should pay sincere tribute.

Santos, 1941