This is the first recording of the complete 12 Poemas do Monte (Poems from the Mountain) by Portuguese composer Luiz Costa (1879-1960), eight of which were recorded here for the first time. Poemas do Monte are a window to the 1920s’ rural atmosphere of northern Portugal.

The bucolic and melancholic nuances of Costa’s tone painting are both absorbing and immediate. His daughters’ memoirs describe Costa as a great walker who used to ramble for hours in the countryside across great distances. He was fascinated by the natural beauty of the Minho region and by the daily chores of country life. Poemas do Monte is a prime example of Costa’s bucolic lyricism.

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