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The second of two programmes exploring the music of 18th-century Portugal. In this second programme, we explore in particular the church music that flowered at court and in ecclesiastical establishments.

Marcos Magalhães, director of the ensemble Os Músicos do Tejo, is our guide and he continues his tour of the city, from the neo-classical Basílica da Estrela and the modern-day Praça do Comércio, near which the old royal palace was located, before its destruction in the earthquake of 175, to the glorious Baroque-style Palácio Nacional da Ajuda, a royal residence that was only completed in the late 19th century.

The 18th century saw the Portuguese court consciously try to rediscover the grandness of their 15th- and 16th-century predecessors during the so-called ‘Age of Discoveries’, when the Portuguese first established their overseas empire. With it came a musical heritage that was both inspired by those of Italy and France, but also sought to bring Portuguese talent to the fore.

Presented by Hannah French.