x Alfonso

Alfonso X el Sabio - Miracle!: Cantigas de Santa Maria d'Alfonso el Sabio - Ensemble Obsidienne (2007) {Calliope CAL9366}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 378 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 155 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 27 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2007 Calliope / CAL 9366
Classical / Medieval / Early Music

In the thirteenth century, King Alfonso el Sabio (the wise), gathered together in his 'Cantigas de Santa Maria' four hundred songs (cantigas). These mystical, non-liturgical pieces were sung at various festivities, sometimes - as we see from the illuminated manuscripts - accompanied by dancing. Their form, verses with dialogue between texts and instruments, and so on. The 'Cantigas' involve celebration, dancing, storytelling, tales of miracles. The language used is Gallego-Portuguese, the language of lyric poetry at that time in the Iberian Peninsula.

Alfonso X, called the Wise (Spanish: el Sabio), was the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 30 May 1252 until his death in 1284. During the election of 1257, a dissident faction chose him to be Roman-German king on 1 April. He renounced his claim to Germany in 1275, and in creating an alliance with England in 1254, his claim on Gascony as well. Alfonso X commissioned or co-authored numerous works of music during his reign. These works included Cantigas d'escarnio e maldicer and the vast compilation Cantigas de Santa Maria ("Songs to the Virgin Mary"), which was written in Galician-Portuguese and figures among the most important of his works. The Cantigas form one of the largest collections of vernacular monophonic songs to survive from the Middle Ages.

Jordi Savall & Hespèrion XX - Alfonso X El Sabio - Cantigas de Santa Maria (1993) {Astrée-Auvidis E 8508}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 309 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 164 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 112 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1993 Auvidis / Astrée | E 8508
Classical / Medieval / Chamber Music

Jordi Savall, once more time, shares with us a beautiful program of instrumentals and chorals pieces from the middle age. Alfons X El Sabio Cantigas are the most popular music pieces about this period, but also really majestic. The sound of this album is really magic. A very good choice for a first approach…

Alfons X, Alphonse X or Alfonso X (23 November 1221 – 4 April 1284), called the Wise (Spanish: el Sabio), was the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 30 May 1252 until his death. During the Imperial election of 1257, a dissident faction chose him to be King of the Romans (Latin: Rex Romanorum; German: Römisch-deutscher König) on 1 April. He renounced his imperial claim in 1275, and in creating an alliance with England in 1254 his claim on Gascony also.