Songs by Maddalena Casulana, Giulio Cesare Barbetta, Vincenzo Capriola, Francesco da Milano, Baldassarre Donato, Paolo Fonghetti, Stefano Lando, Pietro da Lodi, Giacomo Gorzanis-The interpreters of this CD have compiled a small musical zoology based on the "Fables" of Leonardo da Vinci and the "Bestiario", in turn based on the "Historia Naturale" by Plinio. The vocal passages that constitute the sound commentary to the Leonardesque writings contain various references to the animal world, while the Researchers and Fantasies for lute alone are interspersed as preludes or interludes to the sequnza of the compositions.
Savall and Hesperion XXI often return to the same material, almost obsessively; yet this repertory - the interface of early Iberian art music and the traditional - sustains endless re-visiting and re-interpretation; there can never be one definitive interpretation of this endlessly rewarding music, as Renaissance and Baroque composers knew - producing as they did endless variations on traditional themes which had woven their way from the popular sphere to the realm of 'art' music. Some of these bass melodies are presented here - the 'Follia' and 'Canaries' -and it is wonderful that Savall has the artistic freedom to perform versions of these again and again on his own label, Alia Vox.
This 68-minute program–a compilation of recordings made by Jordi Savall, Montserrat Figueras & Co. during the years 1976 and 2008 (including several selections originally released on dhm and Virgin Classics)–proved one of those purely pleasurable, effortlessly rewarding listening sessions that only rarely come along. We don't often review compilations drawn from multiple recordings made in different venues and over many years–they're so often programmatically disjointed and sonically varied; but in this case it doesn't matter. The music is compatible stylistically and these performers are so consistent in the quality and care and vitality of their performances that, well, what's 30 years or so?