Xavier Díaz Latorre

Fernando Sor, an unparalleled figure in the classical guitar world, revolutionized guitar composition by emulating the rich textures of orchestral music. Educated at the prestigious Escolania de Montserrat and guided by Father Anselm Viola, Sor’s works reflect his profound understanding of counterpoint and polyphony, reminiscent of Haydn’s influence. His innovative techniques, from the use of natural harmonics to polyphonic textures, transformed the guitar into an instrument capable of producing a spectrum of orchestral sounds.

In 1536, the Alsatian printer Johannes Sultzbach, renowned for having adopted in his work the most modern typographic techniques of his time, published in Naples two volumes of music dedicated to the work of Francesco Canova detto 'da Milano', Il Divino, under the title Libro della Fortuna (Book of Fortune). This fact, apparently normal in a country known for its solid printing tradition, was nevertheless surrounded by oddities and peculiarities of all kinds, and only an accumulation of coincidences made it possible. A good part of these coincidences had to do with Spain. Let us tell you this story.

This new recoding by Jordi Savall and his ensemble Hespèrion XXI enables us to discover the best pieces for consort of viols composed between 1500 and 1700.

Born in Toledo, Diego Ortiz published the Trattado de Glosas in Rome in 1553. At that time, he was living in Naples in the service of Ferdinand Alvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alba and Viceroy of Naples. This region was deeply influenced by Spain. His treatise, published simultaneously in Spanish and Italian, is first and foremost a precious source for the art of Spanish instrumental performance. The second book of the Trattado de Glosas is performed here in its entirety, with Bruno Cocset and Guido Balestracci alternating in the Recercadas.