Under the motto “Os Sons do Divino”, the historic pipe organ of the Igreja de São Martinho will be the main protagonist of the 1st Organ Cycle, organized by the Municipality of Sintra and which takes place from 19 to 22 May, with free admission.
The Church of São Martinho, in the heart of the historic centre of Vila de Sintra, will be the stage for this initiative that aims to lead the public to rediscover the sounds of Sintra in the late 1700s, while at the same time valuing and making known the cultural heritage of the county.
The concert, scheduled for 9 pm, will be preceded by a unique moment. At 8:45 pm, in this same Church, the show produced by the Vortice Dance Company, “Glória”, will take place, a video mapping show with the conception and artistic direction of the choreographers Cláudia Martins and Rafael Carriço. Using the walls of the Parish Church of São Martinho in Sintra as a backdrop, the video mapping interacts with the architecture of the religious heritage, involving the public in a glorification of divine light, peace and the reunion of Humanity.
The program is made up of a cast of outstanding Portuguese musicians, including the organist João Vaz and the acclaimed soprano Eduarda Melo, as well as musicians from Sintra such as the prestigious organist Sérgio Silva and the Ensemble Barroco de Sintra.
On May 19, the concert explores the potential of the organ with the presentation of a solo program that unites Portugal and Italy, the two influences present in the construction of the instrument. Works by paradigmatic Portuguese and Italian composers in writing for organ will be performed.
Sacred music gains relevance The sung word is the starting point for the show “A Paixão no Feminino – Arias e Cantatas Sacras para Soprano e Órgão”, which takes place on May 20th. The program features sacred arias from oratories and cantatas from the Baroque period in a close dialogue between voice and organ.
The organ will be in the spotlight on May 21, as a solo concert instrument. Although the organ repertoire is relatively limited, when compared to other solo instruments, the examples that have reached the present day are of relevant quality and technical requirement, as evidenced in the program for this show.
On May 22, the closing of the Organ Cycle will be marked by the presentation of two works by the composer José Cláudio de Almeida: Te Deum and Missa, both for soloists, male choir and organ. The works were written in 1814 for the Church of Santa Maria, allowing us, today, to discover the sounds that were heard in Sintra in the early 1800s.
About the historic organ of the Church of Saint Martin:
Dating back to 1776, the historic organ of the Church of S. Martinho is a rare example of the Portuguese organ area and the only complete nationally classified organ. This instrument is the oldest known signed by the Portuguese organ master, Joaquim Peres Fontanes, responsible for the construction of countless other examples in the country. Because it has these characteristics, it was classified as good of public interest in 2004, is considered an important instrument for the study of the organization of the time.
At the end of 2020, the municipality of Sintra, aware of the importance of this collection and its historical character, supported the recovery of this pipe organ due to the historical and artistic importance that the instrument represents for the municipality.
Always confirm with the concert hall or promoter the conditions of access, confirmation of the date or time, tickets place of sale, price and availability.
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