Hortus Miscallaneous

Overshadowed by such prominent Spanish Renaissance composers as Cristóbal de Morales, Francisco Guerrero, and Tomás Luis de Victoria, Juan Esquivel was considered a minor and fairly obscure figure until his reputation was elevated by inclusion in the revised edition of Robert Stevenson’s Spanish Cathedral Music in the Golden Age. Today, his works are increasingly appreciated by modern scholars and listeners thanks to the discovery in 1973 of a large volume of Esquivel’s music, published in 1613, which included masses, psalms, Magnificats, hymns, a Te Deum, a Requiem, and numerous antiphons and responsories.

This is a genuinely heart warming recital of chamber music from the latter part of the 17th century by the north German masters Johann Adam Reinken and Dietrich Buxtehude, both among the influences on the young J.S. Bach. The two were great friends and shared compositional tastes. Melody is not the issue here, neither is the extroverted passion of Italian composers of the period. This is more the animated conversation of friends sitting around the fire discussing various topics after a good meal.