Pasiones de España

The Golden Age of Spain

The songs discuss faith, darkness and suffering, but also explore the comfort we can derive from nature, the sea, birds and music. The work of Falvetti, a Sicilian composer, rubs shoulders with Lamentazione by Colonna, the choirmaster of Bologna’s Cathedral. The second part of the programme is dedicated to José Marín’s tonos humanos, which is one of the finest secular vocal compositions of 17th-century Spain. Marín was one of the most intriguing figures of his time. He was ordained in Rome in 1644, then joined the chapel of the Royal Monastery of La Encarnación in Madrid as a tenor. He was accused of theft in 1654 and murder in 1656, and was arrested, tortured, laicised and imprisoned. The Madrid court (“court of miracles” under the Habsburgs) was used to these kinds of indiscretions and did not hold it against him. In due course, it welcomed a “penitent” José Marín who, after several years of exile and pilgrimage, led an exemplary life until his death on 8 March 1699. This extravagant life seems a far stretch from the serenity of his ‘tonos’, which are astonishingly rich in melody and feature a remarkable rhythmic guitar accompaniment.

Programme

Giovanni Paolo Colonna (1637–1695) – Prima lamentazione del Mercoledi sera, madrigale ultimo, (Sacre Lamentazioni della Settimana Santa a voce sola)
Francisco Guerrero (1528–1599) – Niño Dios d’amor herido
Juan Hidalgo (1614–1685) – La noche tenebrosa
Alessandro Piccini (1566-1638) – Ricercar primo
Michelangelo Falvetti (1642–1692) – La mia fede dal fuoco nasce, (Nabucco)
Alessandro Piccini (1566-1638) – Chiaccona mariona alla vera spagnola
Sebastián Durón (1660–1716) – Aunque más vuele, (La guerra de los Gigantes)
Francisco Guerau (1649-1717) – Marionas
José Marín (1618–1699) – Ay, Dios, qué dulce mal! – Van y vienen mis pensamientos – Si quieres vivir – Qué bien canta un ruiseñor – Ojos, pues me desdeñáis
Mateo Romero (ca. 1575–1647) – Van y vienen las olas madre
Manuel de Falla (1876–1946) – Nana, (Siete canciones populares españolas)

Performance running time: 53 minutes.
Recorded in the Opéra de Dijon auditorium on 1 April 2021 for the Misteria Paschalia Festival in Krakow.

Artists

• Mariana Flores, soprano
• Monica Pustilnik, archlute and guitar