21st WASBE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS, RIO DE JANEIRO – BRAZIL - BOMTEMPO NO CANALfor Solo Flûte and Double Wind Quintet by EURICO CARRAPATOSO (Portugal, 1962)
[#376] Oct 05, 2026
Portugal | 2023 | Solo flute Double Wind Quintet | Grade 5 | 8' | Chamber Winds
Available for rental at Eurico Carrapatoso
Bomtempo no Canal, by Portuguese composer Eurico Carrapatoso is our Composition of the Week.
Commissioned in 2023 by the Associação Cultural Arquipélago Cromático, Bomtempo No Canal was presented at the 21st WASBE International Conference in Rio de Janeiro on July 22, 2026. The performance took place at the Municipal Theatre, with Solistas SAMP, flutist Neuza Bettencourt as soloist, and Alberto Roque conducting.
The title Bomtempo no Canal alludes to the novel Mau Tempo no Canal by Azorean writer Vitorino Nemésio. The use of "Bomtempo," rather than "good weather, refers to João Domingos Bomtempo, a central figure in the composer's artistic identity, both as a composer and as a teacher at the National Conservatory - an institution founded by Bomtempo in 1835-36, alongside notable figures such as Almeida Garrett and Passos Manuel. Keep good company, as the saying goes across the English Channel.
The work was commissioned by Associação Arquipélago Cromático within the framework of the Portuguese Directorate-General for the Arts' "Creation" program, aiming to mark the International Day against Racial Discrimination through a premiere musical work.
It was written for two wind quintets, bringing together young musicians from across the Azores, and includes a featured soloist - originally flutist Ricardo Cardoso, a former member of Orquestra Geração, a project widely recognized for its work in music education and social intervention. As such, this two-movement work carries a distinctly celebratory character, filled with vital energy and exploring the essential qualities of wind instruments - agile aerophones eager to project, run, articulate, leap, and assert virtuosity; yet also capable of singing with great lyricism, as heard at the opening of the second movement, where the flute solo envelops the listener in a spacious and dreamlike sound world. The first movement, Com brio, is driven by a vigorous impulse and striking energy, un-folding with remarkable speed - at times like an arrow, or even a bullet - passing vividly before the listener. The second movement, Com delicadeza, begins with the aforementioned flute solo, expansive and expressive, leading into graceful music marked by gestures that suggest an imaginary Choreography. The writing is articulated and playful, punctuated by brief moments of silence that suspend the musical flow, from which it re-emerges, even more refined. This atmosphere of lightness gives way to the return of the initial flute theme, now slower and embraced by the fuller sonority of the ensemble, creating a sense of longing and melancholy. Soon after, the dance-like impulse returns, until a concise and incisive final gesture - like a whispered monosyllable - brings the work to its under- stated conclusion: "the end." Concert Program notes by Eurico Carrapatoso
Bomtempo no Canal has a duration of 8 minutes, and it is available on rental directly from the composer.
This recording has been donated by Mark Custom. To purchase the entire performance visit http://www.markcustom.com/
Eurico Carrapatoso works have been performed across Europe and overseas.
He graduated from the Porto University with a degree in History in 1985 and he was Assistant Professor of Social and Economic History at Portucalense University.
He began his musical studies in 1985 with José Luís Borges Coelho. In 1987, he took the fugue examination under the supervision of Fernando Lapa and Cândido Lima at the Conservatório de Música in Porto. In 1988, he began his composition studies at the Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa with Constança Capdeville. His final studies were with Jorge Peixinho from 1991-93 at the Conservatório Nacional de Música.
He has taught composition at several institutions: Academia de Amadores de Música, Academia Nacional Superior de Orquestra and Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa.
Since 1989, he has taught Analysis and Techniques of Composition at the National Conservatoire.
He has received commissions from numerous institutions, in Portugal and abroad. He was distinguished with several awards:
Honorific awards:
• Commendation of the Order of Prince Henry (decorated by the President of Portuguese Republic, June 10, 2004, Bragança)
• National Identity Prize (May 2001, Lisbon)
Artistic awards:
• DSCH-Schostakovich Ensemble Prize (November 2021)
• Premio Alumni - Universidad de Salamanca "Jesús García-Bernalt" [1st edition (October 2021)]
• Medal of Cultural Merit (May 2019, Mirandela)
• Prémio SPA for best Composition Work (March 2017)
• Eixo Atlântico Award (April 2016, Vilagarcía de Arousa, Galicia)
• Tree of Life Award / Prémio Árvore da Vida (May 2011)
• 3rd Portuguese representation at UNESCO International Rostrum of Composers (2006, Paris)
• 1st edition of the Francisco de Lacerda Prize (1999, Ponta Delgada, Azores)
• 2nd Portuguese representation at UNESCO International Rostrum of Composers (1999, Paris)
• 1st Portuguese representation at UNESCO International Rostrum of Composers
(1998, Paris)
• 1st edition of the Lopes-Graça Prize (December 1998, Tomar)
Other works for winds by Eurico Carrapatoso include:
• Cinco Miniaturas (2000) Wind Quintet, 6’
• Cinco Elegías (1997) Wind Quintet, 7’
• Cinco Aforismos (2005), for Wind Quintet and Piano (9’)
• Cinco Peças Livres como um Pássaro (2007) Chamber Ensemble (10’)
• Quatro Peças Brilhantes para um Ensemble Lusitano (2004) Wind Ensemble (12’)
• Homenagem a Nino Rota (2004) for Jazz Ensemble (8’)
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