CD, стоящие на полке рядом : Sacred Music (Master Works)      

Cantigas De Santa Maria

Ensembe Unicorn, Vienna

Alfonso X of Spain (known as Alfonso el Sabio, Alfonso the Learned) ruled over two of the early Spanish kingdoms, Castille and Leon, during the thirteenth century. He patronized artists of all kinds, promoted the sciences and learning, and his court was home not only to Christian scholars and artists, but Muslims and Jews. His greatest musical accomplishment was collecting the Cantigas de Santa Maria (Songs to Holy Mary). The songs themselves are anonymous, but show several different musical influences, including troubadour (French and Italian, particularly by the trouvere and monk Gautier de Coincy), minnesinger, and Arabic music, from secular music and sacred music, French motet style, and Gregorian chant. Some melodies seem to derive from Galician folk music, which itself shows a strong Celtic influence. These songs represent the crossroads of many musical cultures and as a collection are arguably unique in music history as a convergence of styles. Alfonso took an active part in collecting the songs and may well have written some of them. Guiraut Riquer, who had visited Alfonso's court, might be another composer. The four manuscripts' illustrations show instrumentalists, singers, and poets, and these portraits probably include many of the collection's poets and composers, as well as their original performers.

Recorded at Tonstudio W*A*R from 24th to 27th November 1994