Los Ministriles in the New World
see end of review for track listing
Piffaro (Grant Herreid, Greg Ingles, Joan Kimball, Christa Patton, Priscilla
Smith, Robert Wiemken, Tom Zajac), with Annette Bauer (recorders, dulcian)
rec. 10-14 January 2012, Dorothy Young Center for the Arts, Drew University,
Madison, NJ, USA. DDD
NAVONA NV5875 [69:36]
Musicians who visited Latin America over the last couple of decades have been
surprised to find instruments being played which were part of the early music
scene in Europe. They also discovered large archives of music by Spanish and
Portuguese composers some of whom were well-known as they worked at the Iberian
peninsula in the 16th and 17th centuries, but also by composers from elsewhere.
Moreover, these archives included music by composers who seemed to be of native
birth. Only part of these have been explored as yet, but the wide interest
in the musical heritage of Latin America has led to many interesting projects
and recordings.
The American ensemble Piffaro has specialized in music for wind instruments
of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. The members play instruments like cornett
and sackbut, shawms, recorders, dulcians and bagpipes, sometimes with the
addition of plucked instruments and percussion. The title of this disc refers
to the wind bands which were often part of the personnel of Spanish cathedrals
in the 16th century. Their role isn't totally clear. It is often thought that
they supported the singers in religious music, but some scholars think they
played independently, alternating with the choir, and also performed vocal
pieces without the participation of singers.
The programme of this disc brings a wide variety of pieces, both sacred and
secular, as well as music originally intended for instruments. The latter
are sometimes performed with other instruments than originally intended by
the composer. Mostly there is no objection to this practice. The three pieces
by Antonio de Cabezón, for instance, were written for keyboard; here
they are performed with a consort of recorders, a combination of wind, harp
and vihuela or with the latter two.
The music which was performed in Latin American countries was mostly brought
along by missionaries from Spain and Portugal. Therefore the largest part
of the repertoire is by composers from those countries. It needs to be said,
though, that music has also been found by composers from Italy and even Bohemia.
This disc only contains music by Spanish composers. Some, like Cristóbal
de Morales never set foot in the New World. His music belongs to the first
and the most widely disseminated influx which was sung in Latin America. Others,
such as Lucas Ruiz de Ribayaz worked in the New World for some time and then
returned to Spain. There were also composers who emigrated to the Spanish
colonies. One of the best-known is Gaspar Fernandes who was from Portugal
and worked in Guatemala and Mexico. He left a large amount of secular music,
not only on Spanish and Portuguese texts, but also in native languages and
dialects. For some time he worked in Puebla Cathedral, with Juan Gutiérez
de Padilla being his assistant. In 1629 the latter succeeded Fernandes as
maestro de capilla. He left a large body of sacred music and villancicos.
Some music dating from the 17th century was written by composers who were
born in the New World. One of these is Francisco López Capillas, who
was born and died in Mexico City. He was active as a singer, organist and
dulcian player. In 1654 he became maestro de capilla of Mexico City
Cathedral, the first occupant of this post who was born in the city. He was
the son of a Spanish public servant; composers from native families were rare.
It is safe to assume, though, that at least some of the compositions which
have come down to us anonymously were written by native musicians. Some titles
point in this direction, such as Yjaî Jesuchristo and Turulu
neglo. Dios itlaçonantzine is attributed to Hernando Franco
- a Spanish composer who emigrated to Mexico - but was probably written by
a certain Don Francisco, according to the programme notes.
In programmes of Latin American music of the 16th and 17th centuries one often
hears exciting pieces with infectious rhythms, and frequent use of plucked
instruments and percussion. It is different here: there are some pieces of
this kind, and percussion and instruments like vihuela and guitar are used,
but in a rather modest way. Very often we hear a consort of recorders or a
quartet of dulcians. The combination of shawms, sackbuts and dulcians is also
regularly used. Two pieces are for double choir: Ah, de abajo by Gaspar
Fernandes and Deus in adiutorium meum intende by Juan Gutiérez
de Padilla. This way we get a balanced picture of musical practices in Latin
America in the late renaissance and early baroque period. Piffaro is a highly
experienced ensemble of virtuosic players who have mastered a whole range
of instruments of various characters and in various pitches. They produce
an exquisite sound, and the choice of instruments for every single piece is
highly convincing. It results in a most compelling programme of music which
invites repeated listening.
The programme notes in the booklet are very concise. The disc includes a folder
with more extensive programme notes as JPGs. A pdf file would have been more
suitable.
Johan van Veen
http://www.musica-dei-donum.org
https://twitter.com/johanvanveen
A most compelling programme of music which invites repeated listening.
Track listing
Gaspar FERNANDES (c.1570-before 1629)
Tañe Gil du tamborino [3:31]
Santiago DE MURCIA (1673-1739)
Folias gallegas (arr. Grant Herreid) [1:35]
Antonio DE CABEZÓN (c.1510-1566)
Differencias sobre el canto llano de cavallero [2:35]
Differencias sobre el gallarda Milanesa [1:24]
La dame le demande (arr. Christa Patton) [3:22]
Diego ORTIZ (c.1510-c.1570)
Recercada IV 'La gamba' [1:40]
Juan ARAÑES (?-c.1649)
Una sarao de la chacona [1:58]
Fr. B. MURILLO (early 17th C)
Niña, con tus libres modos [2:09]
Juan BLAS DE CASTRO (c.1560-1631)
Sale la blanca aurora [1:40]
anon (Spain, c.1650)
Ay, ay, ay, tres veces [1:56]
Gaspar FERNANDES
Elegit eum Dominus (Motet para la entrada del birrey) [2:11]
Francisco LÓPEZ CAPILLAS (c.1615-1673)
Ego enim accepi (Sanctissimae Eucharistiae Sacramentum) [2:52]
Gaspar FERNANDES
Sobre vuestro canto llano (de San Jerónimo) [1:20]
anon (early 17th C)
Villano (arr Piffaro) [2:43]
anon (Peru, 16th C)
Turulu neglo [1:54]
? Don FRANCISCO (?-?)
Dios itlaçonantzine [2:27]
Gaspar FERNANDES
Oy, descubre la grandesa [2:09]
Ah, de abajo! [4:02]
anon (Bolivia, 17th C)
Yjaî Jesuchristo [1:07]
Hernando FRANCO (1532-1585)
Monstra te esse matrem [1:35]
Cristóbal DE MORALES (c.1500-1553)
Missa Si bona suscepimus:
Gloria [4:59]
Lucas RUIZ DE RIBAYAZ (1626-?)
Zarambeques [1:57]
anon (Bolivia, 17th C)
Christianos [1:20]
anon (Bolivia, 17th C)
Dulce Jesús mío (arr Grant Herreid) [2:42]
anon (Portugal, late 16th C)
Senhora del mundo (arr Piffaro) [3:15]
Lucas RUIZ DE RIBAYAZ
Pabanas [2:21]
anon (early 17th C)
Canarios [2:38]
Santiago DE MURCIA
Seguidillas manchegas (arr. Grant Herreid) [3:04]
Manuel BLASCO (fl. C.1684)
Versos al organo con duo para chirimias [1:11]
Juan Gutiérez DE PADILLA (c.1590-1664)
Deus in adiutorium meum intende [1:56]