•As a committed socialist and Communist Party member, the Portuguese composer Fernando Lopes-Graça (1906–94) faced repression during the years of Prime Minister's Salazar’s right-wing dictatorship (1932-1968). His works were banned and he was stripped of his official positions. Lopes-Graça responded in music, evolving a feisty, wiry Bartókian style that drew on Portuguese folk-music. This recording features Lopes-Graça’s own Bechstein piano, played by Olga Prats, who worked closely with him.