Juan Tiento

For those of us who are lucky enough to have been able to travel in space and time with Jordi Savall as members of his ensembles and to learn from each of his projects, launching a new programme with the figure of the outstanding Basque navigator Juan Sebastián Elcano to guide us on a musical journey through his world and his times is a congenial task. The premise is clear and the principle is a simple one: music is the quintessential universal language, which has united remote peoples through the ages, as it still does today. The same man who, 500 years ago, took part in an expedition commanded by Ferdinand Magellan to find the Spice Islands for the Crown of Castile, and who despite having established a landmark in universal history by circumnavigating the Earth, is nowadays unknown in much of the world, and yet provides us with a perspective on the past which enhances our enjoyment and understanding of the present.

Chicago's best-known early music ensemble The Newberry Consort exhilarates with VESPERS, a collection of dazzlingly original music for women’s voices. The composer? A mysterious early-17th-century Mexican named Juan de Lienas, whose style energetically oscillates between Renaissance and Baroque elements.

Chicago's best-known early music ensemble The Newberry Consort exhilarates with VESPERS, a collection of dazzlingly original music for women’s voices. The composer? A mysterious early-17th-century Mexican named Juan de Lienas, whose style energetically oscillates between Renaissance and Baroque elements.
Little is known about de Lienas beyond the manuscripts, which, much to the undeserved discredit of the poor composer, occasionally include unflattering personal remarks scrawled in the margins. Perhaps that these insults on his appearance and personality stemmed from mere envy, for the music captured by his hand presents such skill, wit and zest that it can still be enjoyed a full four centuries after its inception.

Chicago's best-known early music ensemble The Newberry Consort exhilarates with VESPERS, a collection of dazzlingly original music for women’s voices. The composer? A mysterious early-17th-century Mexican named Juan de Lienas, whose style energetically oscillates between Renaissance and Baroque elements.
Little is known about de Lienas beyond the manuscripts, which, much to the undeserved discredit of the poor composer, occasionally include unflattering personal remarks scrawled in the margins. Perhaps that these insults on his appearance and personality stemmed from mere envy, for the music captured by his hand presents such skill, wit and zest that it can still be enjoyed a full four centuries after its inception.

Chicago's best-known early music ensemble The Newberry Consort exhilarates with VESPERS, a collection of dazzlingly original music for women’s voices. The composer? A mysterious early-17th-century Mexican named Juan de Lienas, whose style energetically oscillates between Renaissance and Baroque elements.
Little is known about de Lienas beyond the manuscripts, which, much to the undeserved discredit of the poor composer, occasionally include unflattering personal remarks scrawled in the margins. Perhaps that these insults on his appearance and personality stemmed from mere envy, for the music captured by his hand presents such skill, wit and zest that it can still be enjoyed a full four centuries after its inception.

Under the expert fingers of Jean-Charles Ablitzer, the Iberian organ of Grandvillars, confirms its extraordinary expressive, spatial and sonorous qualities. The thought of the interpreter resuscitates the whole imagination of the organist composers in Spain: the colors shine; fluid and precise, the game emphasizes this aesthetic contrasts very sharp, biting, conducive to the event of the orchestral organ, able to move as to seize by the force of its spatialized spectrum.

The earliest full organs in Europe were built before the development of a specific repertoire for the instrument. Taken from historic recordings made between 1963 and 1973, this set is now being reissued for third time - proof that the interpretations of Francis Chapelet, Michel Chapuis, René Saorgin and Helmut Winter are still as fresh as ever. Here they breathe new life into instruments of major historical interest from all over Europe, dating from the late 15th century to the 18th. A thrilling musical voyage across periods and repertoires…
Francis Chapelet plays the organs of Palma de Mallorca (Sant Agusti: organ of the monastery by Caimari-Bosch, late 17th century; Sant Geroni: organ by Matheu Bosch, 1746), Trujillo (organ of St Martin’s church, early 18th century) and Covarrubias (organ of the collegiate church by Diego de Orio Tejada, 17th-18th centuries). René Saorgin plays the organs of Malaucène (organ by Charles Boisselin, 1712), Brescia (San Giuseppe: organ by Graziadio Antegnati, 1581) and Bastia (Sainte-Marie: organ by Serassi, 1844). Michel Chapuis plays the organs of Marmoutier (André Silbermann, 1710) and Saint-Maximin (Jean-Esprit Isnard, 1772). Helmut Winter plays the organs of Trebel (Johann Georg Stein senior, 1777) and Altenbruch (Coci-Klapmeyer, 1498-1730).

As court organist to Queen Isabella as well as the music teacher of her children with Charles V Antonio de Cabezon was perfectly placed to become the most important composer of the Spanish Golden Age of the 16th century. This complete recorded survey celebrates his remarkable body of work as well as his unique style and mastery.