Claudio Santoro (1919-1989) was an important Brazilian composer and according to the website dedicated to him, the 'Paulistanas' (of which there are seven) were published in 1953. The title presumably refers to the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo (and a 'Paulistana' presumably someone from there).

What drew me to this piece is its peculiar but completely convincing musical shape, a kind of movement from darkness to light: the brooding introductory passage is tonally ambiguous, eventually progressing to a rocking theme in C major which is then repeated a tone higher, producing a strangely uplifting effect. The piece is marked 'molemente chorosa, Lento' (very sadly and slow).

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