Poelzl V. Culture Shock! Portugal: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette

Подождите немного. Документ загружается.

CultureShock! Portugal

182

Other important literary ﬁ gures of the early 20th century

were the novelists Aquilino Ribeiro (1885–1963) and José

Régio (1901–1969), as well as Miguel Torga (1907–1995).

The 1960s were characterised by young poets who revolted

against the stiﬂ ing atmosphere of the dictatorial regime,

either through political poetry or attempts to broaden the

aesthetic language and artistic norms of the time.

Beyond the 1974 Revolution

With the end of censorship after the 1974 revolution,

Portuguese novelists and poets began to explore political

themes that had been prohibited for decades. Literary works

dealt with the authoritarianism and brutality of the military

regime, as intellectuals tried to come to terms with over four

decades of stiﬂ ed creativity and censorship. It was in the

years following the revolution that José Saramago (born 1922)

emerged as a novelist. His novels not only deal with the social,

historical and political reality of his home country, but also

indulge in philosophical musings about human nature, love,

power and other eternal themes. In 1998, Saramago became

the ﬁ rst writer of the Portuguese language to be awarded a

Nobel Prize in literature. His best-known novels are Memorial

do Convento (Baltasar and Blimunda, 1982), O Evangelho

Segundo Jesus Cristo (The Gospel According to Jesus Christ,

1991) and Ensaio Sobre a Cegueira (Blindness, 1995).

Although Saramago remains the most visible representative

of 20th century Portuguese literature, he is certainly not the

only one worth reading. José Cardoso Pires (1925–1998) was

a distinguished novelist, know for works such as O Hóspede

de Job (Job’s Guest, 1963) and Balada da Praia dos Cães (Ballad

of the Beach of the Dogs, 1983). Another inﬂ uential modern

writer is Agustina Bessa-Luís (born 1922) with novels such

as A Sibila (The Sibyl, 1954) and Fanny Owen (1979). António

Lobo Antunes is among Portugal’s most experimental writers,

with a style resembling stream of consciousness. In his

books, he explores the internal lives of people shattered by

the colonial wars and their experiences in Africa. Among his

best-known works are Fado Alexandrino and A Ordem Natural

das Coisas (The Natural Order of Things). Other established

CS-07-Portugal.indd 182 6/23/09 3:02:53 PM

Enjoying Portugal

183

contemporary writers whose work is noteworthy are Lídia

Jorge, Mário de Carvalho, Almeida Faria, Hélia Correia and

Mário Cláudio.

Music

‘Quem canta, o mal espanta.’

(‘Who sings, scares evil away.’)

—Portuguese saying

The Classical Tradition

Although Portugal is not known for its classical music, the

country has a long and outstanding tradition of musical

production. The ﬁ rst notable works of musical creation

in Portugal were the minstrel songs of the troubadours,

which became widely popular around the time of Portugal’s

independence. Several Portuguese kings were accomplished

troubadours and many of their songs and lyrics have been

preserved to this day. Among the most accomplished

troubadours were the Portuguese kings Sancho I, Afonso

III and Dinís. Much of the music written in Portugal over

the century was religious music, and sacral compositions

remained a strong tradition for many centuries. Carlos Seixas

(1704–1742) was Portugal’s most accomplished Baroque

composer. He wrote over 100 sonatas for keyboard, in

addition to religious and orchestral music. João Domingos

Bomtempo (1775–1842) was the ﬁ rst Portuguese composer

to write symphonies. Alfredo Keil (1850–1907) is probably

Portugal’s best-known classical composer. Keil is mostly

known as the composer of Portugal’s national anthem A

Portuguesa, but he also wrote numerous symphonic pieces

and three operas. Serrana (1899), a tragic love story from the

Serra da Estrela mountains, is his best-known opera.

Among the best-known composers of the early 20th

century are Fernando Lopes-Graça (1906–1995), who

included folkloric influences in many compositions,

and Cláudio Carneyro (1895–1963), best known for his

chamber music.

Other noteworthy modern composers are Armando José

Fernandes (1906–1983), Jorge Croner de Vasconcelos (1910–

CS-07-Portugal.indd 183 6/23/09 3:02:53 PM

CultureShock! Portugal

184

1974) and Joly Braga Santos (1924–1988). Braga Santos wrote

symphonies and several operas and also experimented with

challenging musical forms such as chromaticism and atonality.

Most of the classical music pieces performed in Portugal today

are compositions by international composers, but cultural

institutions occasionally also perform the works of great

Portuguese composers from both the past and present.

Popular Music

Since freedom of speech was seriously curtailed during the

dictatorship years, artists and musicians sought other ways of

expressing their sentiments and opinions. Especially during

the 1960s, political and protest songs became a popular way

of spreading political messages and expressing discontent.

A traditional folk music ensemble.

CS-07-Portugal.indd 184 6/23/09 3:02:53 PM

Enjoying Portugal

185

One of the most enigmatic songwriters of this period was

José Afonso (1929–1987), known as Zeca Afonso. On the

eve of 25 April 1974, Afonso’s protest song of brotherhood

and equality, Grândola Vila Morena (banned after it was ﬁ rst

released in 1971), was broadcast to give the signal for the

revolt of left-leaning ofﬁ cers against the dictatorship. Other

songwriters whose songs often have political content are

Sérgio Godinho, Fausto and Vitorino. Little known abroad,

but much respected in Portugal is the music of Carlos Paredes

(1925–2004), the undisputed master of the Portuguese guitar

(guitarra portuguesa).

Contemporary Trends

For a small country, Portugal has a very diverse and active

music scene. From traditional folk music to the somewhat

vulgar música pimba (often with lyrics containing sexual

references and bad language) and the stars of Portugal’s

pop scene, Portugal’s music has something to offer to every

musical taste. Contemporary popular music can be mostly

characterised as a fusion of ballads and modern rhythms.

Musicians only rarely move into styles such as punk or hard

rock. Most tunes are gentle and lyrical, as if the Portuguese

were incapable of expressing anger or negative sentiments

in their music or lyrics. Among the best-known stars of

the national music scene are the singers and songwriters

Luís Represas, Rui Veloso, Jorge Palma and the well-

established rock/pop bands Xutos e Pontapés, Delﬁ ns and

Ala dos Namorados. Other well-known bands that combine

international styles with Portuguese elements are Vozes da

Rádio, Santos e Pecadores, Macaus and Repórter Estrábico.

The best-known female performers are Mafalda Veiga, Né

Ladeiras, Susana Felix and Dulce Pontes.

Given Portugal’s vast folkloric musical tradition, it is not

surprising that contemporary music continues to draw from

traditional roots. There are several groups that take their

inspiration from Portugal’s folk music while experimenting

with new forms of musical expressions. Among them is

the accordion quartet Dança Oculta and the bagpipe and

percussion ensemble Gaiteiros de Lisboa. The creative duo

CS-07-Portugal.indd 185 6/23/09 3:02:53 PM

CultureShock! Portugal

186

of Maria João and Mário Laginha is another one of Portugal’s

great ensembles that fuse a variety of different musical

traditions, in this case jazz and folkloric Portuguese elements.

The best-known Portuguese band whose songs are inﬂ uenced

by Portugal’s folkloric traditions is Madredeus, a group based

on the magical voice of Teresa Salgueiro and the song-writing

talent of Pedro Ayres de Magalhães. Their lyrical and poetic

ballads with their characteristic melancholic mood have

captured audiences around the world.

Art and Architectures

Ancient Beginnings

The ﬁ rst works of art in Portugal were carved and painted

horses, aurochs and mountain goats created by hunting

tribes during the upper Paleolithic period between 25,000

and 18,000

BC. In the ﬁ rst millennium BC, the migrating Celts

brought with them advanced artistic skills in stone carving,

jewellery making and pottery, with many magnificent

examples found mostly in northern Portugal. The Roman

CS-07-Portugal.indd 186 6/23/09 3:02:53 PM

Enjoying Portugal

187

occupation of Portugal gave rise to a completely new period

of artistic activity. Several excellent examples of Roman

mosaics, sculptures and funerary steles remain from this

time. In Évora, in the Alentejo province, are the remains

of the largest Roman temple on the Iberian Peninsula. The

Visigothic presence that followed the long Roman presence

left few artistic and architectural traces, except the remains

of a few small 7th century churches with murals. It is also

interesting to note how little artistic evidence is left from over

400 years of Moorish presence in Portugal.

Romanesque and Gothic Art

A period of construction and expansion followed the

Christian reconquest of the Portuguese territory, and the ﬁ rst

monumental structures in the young kingdom were the large

Romanesque cathedrals in Braga, Porto, Coimbra, Lisbon

and Évora. Starting in the late 12th century, Gothic art and

architecture spread to Portugal. The earliest example is the

Cistercian monastery at Alcobaça (begun in 1178), which also

houses the tombs of Pedro I and his beloved wife Inês de

Castro (ca. 1360), among the most outstanding examples of

medieval sculpture. Another noteworthy example of Gothic

architecture is the Batalha monastery (begun in 1386),

commissioned by King João I after the victory in the battle

of Aljubarrota.

The Manueline Style and the Renaissance

The early 16th century saw for the ﬁ rst time an artistic

development that was uniquely Portuguese and reﬂ ected the

country’s newly found wealth from overseas trade. After the

voyage of Vasco da Gama, Manuel I commissioned several

large buildings, in a late or ﬂ amboyant Gothic style that is now

known as the Manueline style. Inspired by the Portuguese

maritime discoveries, buildings were adorned with motifs

from seafaring, such as armillary spheres, corals, seaweed,

ship hulls and sea monsters. Moorish decorative elements

were also incorporated into the new style.

The most magniﬁ cent examples of Manueline architecture

and sculpture are the Jerónimos monastery and the Tower

CS-07-Portugal.indd 187 6/23/09 3:02:53 PM

CultureShock! Portugal

188

of Belém in Lisbon, the incomplete chapels at the Batalha

cathedral and the magniﬁ cent Abbey at the Convent of Christ

in Tomar.

The Portuguese Baroque

After a period of the rational and austere style of Mannerism,

Baroque inﬂ uences became noticeable in Portuguese art and

architecture in the mid-17th century. The best examples

of early Portuguese Baroque are Santa Engrácia in Lisbon

(begun in 1682), now the Panteão Nacional (National

Pantheon), and Bom Jesus da Cruz in Barcelos (1701–1704),

both built by architect João Antunes. The most magniﬁ cent

example of Portuguese Baroque dates from the reign of

João V (1706–1750). To pay a vow for the birth of his ﬁ rst

child, João V commissioned the German architect Ludovice

to design the palace convent at Mafra. Built from 1717 to

1730, this extravagant Baroque palace displays the best and

most precious materials available at the time. Among the

most characteristic elements of Portuguese Baroque are the

richly gilded wood carvings, known as talha dourada. Baroque

ﬂ ourished when the gold from Brazil was plentiful, and this

wealth is reﬂ ected in the lavish gilded decorations of many

The Bélem Tower, one of the greatest buildings of the Age of Discovery.

CS-07-Portugal.indd 188 6/23/09 3:02:53 PM

Enjoying Portugal

189

churches built at the time. The last great accomplishment

of Portuguese Baroque architecture was Bom Jesus do

Monte near Braga, built by architect Carlos Luís Ferreira

Amarante from 1784 to 1811. It is not just a church, but

an entire mountainside transformed into a sanctuary with

winding double staircases and chapels depicting the Passion

of Christ.

Neoclassicism and the 19th century

The 1755 Lisbon earthquake brought down in a few minutes

what had taken Portuguese kings and architects hundreds

of years to build. Marquês de Pombal, the minister of state

under King José I, took it upon himself to rebuild Lisbon

by employing the latest ideas of urban planning and

neoclassical design.

The abolition of religious orders in 1834 ended the

predominance of religious art in Portugal. In 1836, ﬁ ne

arts academies in Lisbon and Porto opened their doors

and began to spread neoclassical inﬂ uences in the visual

arts. In the second half of the 19th century, artists began to

take interest in naturalism and realism, as well as romantic

currents in art.

Modernism and Beyond

Naturalism remained the dominant style in Portuguese

art until after the turn of the century, when Portuguese

painters gradually began to take interest in contemporary

international trends. José de Almada Negreiros (1893–1970)

was one of the most diverse artists of the Modernist period.

His work includes illustration, design, painting, as well as

large-scale mural projects. Among Portugal’s most famous

modern painters is Maria Helena Vieira da Silva (1908–1992),

who spent most of her life in France and developed a semi-

abstract style based on landscapes and cityscapes. Lourdes

Castro (b. 1930) stands out as one of the most proliﬁ c artists

of her generation. She worked in lyrical abstraction and

later in a variety of experimental genres. Among the most

important artists that emerged during the 1960s and 1970s

are Fernando Calhau (b.1948), António Palolo (b.1946),

CS-07-Portugal.indd 189 6/23/09 3:02:53 PM

CultureShock! Portugal

190

Eduardo Batarda (b.1943), as well as the female painters

Graça Morais (b.1948) and Ilda David (b.1950). In addition

to the traditional media of painting and sculpture, numerous

contemporary artists work in experimental media, such as

installations, mixed media, video and photography, among

them Carlos Nogueira and Julião Sarmento. José Guimarães

is among Portugal’s best-known contemporary sculptors, and

several of his large colourful pieces are displayed in public

places in Lisbon and elsewhere.

After the end of the military regime in 1974, international

styles in art and architecture became more accepted in

Portugal. The Museu Serralves in Porto is among the most

outstanding architectural examples of the 1980s. It was

internationally known architects. The Centro Cultural de

Belém in Lisbon, designed by Vittorio Gregotti and Manuel

Salgado and completed in 1992, combines the look of a

medieval castle with post-modern design. The Parque das

Nações is perhaps the most eclectic example of Portuguese

architecture of the late 20th century. Home to the 1998

World Expo, the permanent structures were designed by

several different architects and show a variety of concepts

and styles. Among the most interesting examples is no doubt

the Pavilhão Atlântico (designed by Portuguese architect

Regino Cruz), a multi-purpose performance hall, whose shape

resembles a horseshoe crab.

The Contemporary Scene

Portugal’s contemporary art scene is mainly centered in Porto

and Lisbon. Porto’s Museu Serralves often shows works of

contemporary artists, many of them Portuguese. The Porto

art gallery scene is concentrated on Rua Miguel Bombarda,

and the monthly opening receptions form a vital part of the

local cultural life. In Lisbon several institutions such as the

Gulbenkian Foundation (a bequest by Armenian oil magnate

Calouste Gulbenkian), Culturgest (a cultural organisation

owned by Portugal’s largest bank Caixa Geral de Depósitos),

and the Museu do Chiado regularly have exhibitions of

upcoming and established contemporary artists in a broad

CS-07-Portugal.indd 190 6/23/09 3:02:53 PM

Enjoying Portugal

191

An 18th century

azulejo

motif.

CS-07-Portugal.indd 191 6/23/09 3:02:53 PM