Tropical Baroque

Little is known about António Pereira da Costa, but the exceptional quality of the only known work by this composer – a set of 12 Concerti Grossi – places him in a prominent position in the history of Portuguese music. He held the position of Master of the Chapel at the Cathedral of Funchal, and these concertos, the only known works of this genre in Portuguese music, were published in London by John Simpson in the 1740s.

Greatly inspired by the Corellian model, these works often reveal a distinctively “Iberian” flavour and exemplify the charm and freshness of an unquestionably refined “tropical Baroque.”

Following the Ensemble Bonne Corde’s recording of these works, which received high praise from the European specialized press, Barroco Tropical presents Pereira da Costa’s unique works in concert, alongside contemporary repertoire from the London scene by composers such as G. F. Handel, F. S. Geminiani, and N. Porpora.