Cantigas De Santa Maria [Import, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered]

El Sabio (Artist), Hesperion XX (Artist), Savall (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 11, 2000)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: Astree
• ASIN: B00004TVFJ
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #960,419 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Cantiga de Santa Marķa 176, Soltar pode muit' agynna os presos e os liados: Introduction

2. Cantiga de Santa Marķa 100, Santa Maria, strela do dia

3. Cantiga de Santa Marķa 400, Pero Cantigas de loor

4. Cantiga de Santa Marķa 123, De Santa Marķa sinal qual xe quer

5. Cantiga de Santa Marķa 209, Muito faz grand' erro, e en torto jaz

6. Cantiga de Santa Marķa 18, Por nos de dulta tirar

7. Cantiga de Santa Marķa 142, Ena gran coita sempr' acorrer ven

8. Cantiga de Santa Marķa 163, Pode por Santa Marķa o mao perde-la fala

9. Cantiga de Santa Marķa 37, Miragres fremosos

10. Cantigas de Santa Marķa

11. Cantiga de Santa Marķa 126, De toda chaga ben pode guarir

12. Cantiga de Santa Marķa 181, Pero que seja a gente d'outra lei [e] descreuda

13. Cantiga de Santa Marķa 176, Soltar pode muit' agynna os presos e os liados: Conclusion

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars (Accidentally?) plausible; amazing performance standard, July 17, 2005

By 

Maddy Evil (London, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cantigas De Santa Maria (Audio CD)

The lack of direct evidence describing contemporary performances of the Cantigas means scholars must draw upon circumstantial evidence to ascertain possible performance practices - a treacherous minefield. From this, a number of plausible options seem to emerge (depending on context) including the one presented here by Jordi Savall: a sizeable ensemble with various instruments.

Alongside the Cantiga MSS illustrations of musicians (all art historians seem to regard the miniatures as 'real life' depictions), near-contemporary accounts survive of large pilgrim ensembles at Spanish shrines, most famously the 12th century Codex Calixtinus (although seemingly unrelated because of its earlier date, this describes a large multi-instrument pilgrim ensemble [like those depicted in some Cantiga illuminations] at the altar of St James at Compostella - a shrine mentioned in certain Cantigas, e.g. CSM 26 and CSM 253. Pilgrims and shrines feature in a number of Alfonso's Cantigas, like CSM 163 'Pode por Santa Maria' [track 8 here], CSM 49, CSM 167 etc...).

This may shed light on Alfonso X's will, which stipulates continued performance of the Cantigas in Seville Cathedral after his death. Additionally, CSM 8 (about a minstrel praising the Virgin) appears in Gautier de Coinci's 'Miracles de Nostre Dame' - the likely inspiration behind Alfonso's collection - where it is followed by a description of some sort of devotional music involving voices and instruments ('...la clere vois plaisant et bele, le son de harpe et de viele, de psaltere, d'orgue, de gygue...') [R.e. all the Cantigas de Loor are devotional.]

Neither Savall nor Jesus Martin Galan (author of the booklet notes) discuss performance practice, and the apparent plausibility of the results - at least, in a devotional context - is perhaps in part accidental (given some of Savall's performance decisions of 15th century Cancionero songs...).

Yet it is difficult to imagine the multi-force approach being better done. Improvisations are concise, and the interpretations 'European'. Alongside some wonderful singing (mostly tutti, but with noteworthy solos from Montserrat Figueras and Mercedes Hernandez [track 5], and Lambert Climent and Francesc Garrigosa [track 8]), the instrumental playing is superb and the line-up includes directors of other major early music ensembles (Andrew Lawrence-King [The Harp Consort], Pedro Memelsdorff [Mala Punica], Crawford Young [Ferrara Ensemble], Markus Tapio [Retrover] and Alfredo Bernadini [Zefiro]).

2 other recordings of this repertory worth checking out are:

1. Cantigas de Santa Maria: Eno nome de Maria, Johanette Zomer + Antequera (Alpha 501) - perhaps the best exploration of Moorish influences in Alfonso's court.
2. Sequentia performs Vox Iberica III by El Sabio (DHM), Sequentia / Benjamin Bagby and Barbara Thornton (DHM 05472-77173-2) - mostly large, a cappella forces.