Piano Music (2001)

"Although he's best known as one of Liszt's last pupils, the Portuguese pianist/composer Jose Vianna da Motta's aesthetic owes less to the Liszt/Wagner "music of the future" axis than to the conservative Germanic sobriety of his mentor Hans von Bülow. Yet the wistful tunes and lilting snap of non-nationalistic pieces such as the D major Sonata and the Op. 16 Ballada suggest love-children reared by a middle-aged Brahms and the young Albéniz. By contrast, the Cenas portuguesas and two Barcarolas make telling compositional and pianistic use of traditional Portuguese dances and popular melodies. It's probably safe to say that Vianna da Motta composed best when he worked with small forms. I'm especially moved by Adeus, minha terra (Farewell, my country), whose lyrical curve is momentarily jarred by murmuring rumbles in the bass register--an oddly memorable effect. (...) This is charming, unpretentious, well-crafted piano music, with a terrific pianist to match. What more do you want?"