Customer Reviews

Isabel I: Reina de Castilla

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Following in the footsteps of his release devoted to Emperor Charles V, Jordi Savall and his ensemble once again envisage the life of one of Spain's most important monarchs, here Isabella of Castile (1451-1504), through a hypothetical 'illustration in sound' of the major events of her life. Connoisseurs will undoubtedly be familiar with a number of these pieces, many from previous Savall recordings (Palacio, Encina, Colombina discs). Alongside the Spanish works (villancicos, romances, sacred music), the programme also includes examples of Turkish and Sephardic music. The CD is exquisitely packaged and includes a 95 page booklet in 6 languages, complete with full song texts and numerous illustrations (facsimile reproductions, etc).

As on many other recordings by this ensemble, it is clear that historical accuracy is secondary to an overall aesthetic result, and it is not difficult to understand why Savall's approach has ruffled many musicologists. For example, whereas most of the works on this recording were almost certainly performed by a small group of musicians, perhaps most often "a cappella" (unaccompanied voices), Savall reimagines them here with the accompaniment of a colourful array of instruments - Renaissance viols, alta band (shawm, cornett, sackbuts), oud, psaltery, bells and arabic percussion. In addition, several tracks have 'composed' introductions (tracks 1, 4, 10, 13) or even added parts (track 6), and others are anachronistically renamed simply for the purpose of Savall's 'programme' (e.g. the cancion 'In exitu Israel de Egipto' appears here as 'Toccata' [track 3], a term which doesn't appear before 1536 and which is predominantly associated with keyboard works). Elsewhere, certain pieces are refashioned so freely that they bare almost no resemblance to the original whatsoever, as is the case with the moorish-inspired rendition of 'Paseabase el Rey moro' (track 12), originally for just 1 singer and vihuela ('Los seys libros del Delphin...', Valladolid, 1538). Incidentally, this romance also postdates the event to which Savall connects it - the Castilian occupation of Alhama in 1482 - by some 55 years, and other works have an equally improbable connection to the historical events with which they are paired: the 'Marcha turca' (track 2), for example, comes from an early 18th-century manuscript (the 'Kitabu Ilmi'l-musiki' of Dimitrie Cantemir [1673-1723], although the piece may have originated before 1700 in oral traditions), and the French rondeau 'Je ne vis onques' (track 5) is a strange choice for the birth of Juana la Beltraneja, the alleged daughter of Henry IV of Castile and Joana of Portugal, given that it has no real connection to either Castile or Portugal (most specialists also believe that the likely composer was actually Binchois, not Dufay). Lastly, there is some decidedly suspect ornamentation on show in places, from the diminished harp figuration in 'Levanta Pascual' (track 13) to the extravagant vocal 'passaggi' of Narvaez's romance (track 12), clearly more akin to the music of Giulio Caccini (1551-1618) and his contemporaries than to early 16th-century Spanish music.

On the other hand, in spite of all these gripes, it is also clear why Savall's group have been greeted with such acclaim by non-academics - music critics and the public alike. After all, what is lacking in musicological accuracy here is certainly compensated for by the passion and enthusiasm which Savall and his group impart to the listener - few, indeed, have done more to make early Spanish repertoire appeal to a wider audience. It goes without saying that the level of musicianship is of the highest order, unsurprisingly given the personnel line-up (comprising, amongst others, Carlos Mena, Jean-Pierre Canihac, Markus Tapio and Andrew Lawrence-King). Incidentally, there are also a few tracks whose interpretation may not be so entirely implausible after all, particularly if one takes into account the exaggerated political overtones of some of them: indeed, a thorough investigation of such romances and villancicos has yet to be undertaken (examples on this recording include tracks 7, 10, 13 and 16). Would pieces like Juan del Encina's 'Triste Espana' (track 18) always have been heard by merely a few unaccompanied singers in the private chambers of Ferdinand and Isabella...?

In the end, if you can turn a blind eye to musicological fidelity, the sheer vivacity of these performances will certainly carry you away.

Interesting mix of styles at work here. Paseabase El Rey Moro is particularly pleasing. Montserrat lends true feeling to this piece as she sings the part of the Moorish king. Her recitation of the old man's 'Dutch uncling' is unexpected and equally passionate. All this is punctuated by a musical style that never loses its Moorish influence but changes, oh so subtly, into a more 'European' mode. In direct contrast, Begona's performance of Canció en ritmo Quddan de la Nuba Gribt: Al Hussein de Marruecos is equally compelling. The voices are married perfectly to the styles of the music. In short, if you like Iberian music of this period (circa 1492), get the album. You will not be disappointed.

This is a meticulously designed and recorded compilation that provides a delightful introduction to music of the late 15th and early 16th centuries . The CD includes both instrumental and vocal compositions that are performed with considerable expertise and verve. The package contains an illustrated booklet that includes an essay on the history of the period and full lyrics but, alas, is rather weak on details regarding the music other than to place it in historical context.

I am a Spain Enthusiast ([...]) and always looking for quality products to do with Spain. This is at the top of the list. It ia a pleasure to listen to --high quality performances, technologically fine.