Playing on her copy of a 1652 Couchet made by Andreas Kilstróm, Italian harpsichordist Paola Erdas sets out to evoke “the keyboard of the soul” through the music of Antonio de Cabezón. She is eminently qualified to champion the blind Spanish composer, having edited a critical edition of his posthumous Obras de música (1578) and previously recorded music attributed to him in a collection entitled Libro de cifra nueva (1557).

A musician at the courts of Isabella of Spain, then Emperor Charles V and finally Philip II of Spain, Cabezón is considered to have been among the finest keyboard performers and composers of his day. His instrumental music falls broadly into improvisatory works (tientos), intabulations, and variations (diferencias), all of which are represented on this disc.

Erdas draws on both collections as well as Gregorian chant (intoned here by soprano Lia Serafini) and even works by several of Cabezón’s near contemporaries, in order to demonstrate influences and links. Erdas brings a deep understanding of and affinity for Cabezón’s music to her performances, teasing out the inner logic of the tientos, and brilliantly illuminates his technical command of idiom and style. She saves the best for last: not merely the characterful and technically accomplished Pavan glosada but also the simple but haunting “ghost track” (an anonymous song of Sephardic origin, “La Rosa enflorece”, sung by Serafini and accompanied by Erdas on an exaquier), representing another of the many varied influences on Cabezón. Clearly a labour of love.