Baroque Music of Spain
Originally released in 2000, re-mastered and re-released in 2017.
Spanish musicologist José López-Calo writes, “secular instrumental music in Spain during the seventeenth century constitutes one of the most sad and inexplicable gaps in all of our musical history.” He points out that while there exists a sizable repertory for solo guitar, harp, and keyboard, there is virtually no surviving ensemble music in seventeenth-century Spain. While his comment is true, it does not tell the whole story. We know, for example, that other instruments, such as shawms, viols, violins, and percussion played important roles in the musical culture of Spain, often playing in ensemble. Descriptions of instrumental ensemble music are not rare in seventeenth-century Spain, particularly in the theater. The gap that López-Calo points out is really more a lack of surviving repertoire than a musical culture bereft of ensemble music. If we expand our definition of Spanish music to include parts of Europe under Spanish rule, we discover that there was significant exchange of musical ideas and musicians. Spanish-born composers such as Diego Ortiz and Francisco José de Castro published works in Italy, while Italian-born composers, such as Andrea Falconieri, wrote music for the theater in Spanish-ruled Naples. Although some of these works have an Italian character, we have included them here to demonstrate the rich musical culture throughout the Spanish diaspora.
Chatham Baroque
Julie Andrijeski, baroque violin
Emily Norman Davidson, baroque violin
Patricia Halverson, viola da gamba
Scott Pauley, theorbo & baroque guitar
With guests
Becky Baxter, historical harps
Danny Mallon, percussion