Portuguese pianist Artur Pereira presents Beethoven's 'Appassionata' and Poemas do Monte (Poems from the Mountain) by Portuguese composer Luiz Costa.

Luiz Costa was one of the most important personalities in Portuguese music during the first half of the 20th century. His oeuvre displays a very unique style, reflecting nationalistic fervour and a love for the natural landscapes of his native region. Poemas do Monte, a set of four pieces, is a paramount example of Luiz Costa's bucolic lyricism. His serene poetry transports us into the 1920's rural atmosphere of northern Portugal.

Luiz Costa was an avid promoter of instrumental music by Beethoven, for whom he had the highest admiration and to whose works he dedicated dozens of recitals. This inspired the pairing of both composers in the present album, the nostalgic lyricism of Costa’s Poemas do Monte contrasting strongly with Beethoven’s stormy ‘Appassionata’.

Listen