I would not disagree. The 'St Vitus dance' chattering ideas found in the symphonies of De Freitas Branco and Joly Braga Santos also appear here. The strings are richer than in the 1970s recording of Images although there is a trace of that 'brushing' distortion that can afflict older tapes. This is a pity especially when the score passes through the sort of storm Berlioz's Le Corsair would have relished. Overall a small price to pay for some extremely approachable, good-humoured and unfamiliar music.
Some aural toleration is required.
De Freitas's interest in ballet can be traced back to the impact made in 1918 by the visit of Diaghilev's Ballets Russes to Lisbon. The 24 minute Dance of the Foolish Girl is another of de Freitas's string of ballets. It is in twelve sections but Portugalsom has, regrettably, banded them as one. This ballet was written for Francis and Ruth Walden and performed by them in Madrid, Paris, Brussels, Lausanne and Rio de Janeiro. It is orchestrated with pellucid mastery taking something from Ravel's Rhapsodie Espagnole as well as from the cold springs of folk music.