The Pilgrimage to Santiago

Record and Artist Details

Composer or Director: King of Castille and León Alfonso X (El Sábio), Martin Codax, Anonymous

Label: L'Oiseau-Lyre

Media Format: CD or Download

Media Runtime: 126

Mastering:

DDD

Catalogue Number: 433 148-2OH2

Tracks:

Composition Artist Credit
Codex Las Huelgas, Movement: Alpha bovi/Domino (2vv) Anonymous, Composer
Anonymous, Composer
New London Consort
Philip Pickett, Conductor
Codex Las Huelgas, Movement: Belial vocatur (3vv) Anonymous, Composer
Anonymous, Composer
New London Consort
Philip Pickett, Conductor
Codex Las Huelgas, Movement: Ex illustri nata prosapia (motet, 3vv) Anonymous, Composer
Anonymous, Composer
New London Consort
Philip Pickett, Conductor
Codex Las Huelgas, Movement: Fa, fa mi fa mi re/Ut re mi (solmization, 2vv) Anonymous, Composer
Anonymous, Composer
New London Consort
Philip Pickett, Conductor
Codex Las Huelgas, Movement: O monialis concio burgensis (planctus, 1v) Anonymous, Composer
Anonymous, Composer
New London Consort
Philip Pickett, Conductor
Codex Las Huelgas, Movement: Plange, castella misera (planctus, 1v) Anonymous, Composer
Anonymous, Composer
New London Consort
Philip Pickett, Conductor
Codex Las Huelgas, Movement: Quis dabit capiti meo aquam (planctus, 1v) Anonymous, Composer
Anonymous, Composer
New London Consort
Philip Pickett, Conductor
Codex Las Huelgas, Movement: Rex obiit et labitur (planctus, 1v) Anonymous, Composer
Anonymous, Composer
New London Consort
Philip Pickett, Conductor
Codex Las Huelgas, Movement: Surrexit de tumulo (2vv) Anonymous, Composer
Anonymous, Composer
New London Consort
Philip Pickett, Conductor
Codex Las Huelgas, Movement: Verbum bonum et suavi (4vv) Anonymous, Composer
Anonymous, Composer
New London Consort
Philip Pickett, Conductor
Codex Calixtinus (Jacobus), Movement: Annua gaudia (2vv) Anonymous, Composer
Anonymous, Composer
New London Consort
Philip Pickett, Conductor
Codex Calixtinus (Jacobus), Movement: Congaudeant catholici (Benedicamus trope, 3vv) Anonymous, Composer
Anonymous, Composer
New London Consort
Philip Pickett, Conductor
Codex Calixtinus (Jacobus), Movement: Dum pater familias (chor & instr) Anonymous, Composer
Anonymous, Composer
New London Consort
Philip Pickett, Conductor
Codex Calixtinus (Jacobus), Movement: Nostra phalanx plaudat leta (Benedicamus trope, 2v Anonymous, Composer
Anonymous, Composer
New London Consort
Philip Pickett, Conductor
Codex Calixtinus (Jacobus), Movement: Regi perennis (4vv) Anonymous, Composer
Anonymous, Composer
New London Consort
Philip Pickett, Conductor
Madre de Deus King of Castille and León Alfonso X (El Sábio), Composer
King of Castille and León Alfonso X (El Sábio), Composer
New London Consort
Philip Pickett, Conductor
De grad'a Santa Maria King of Castille and León Alfonso X (El Sábio), Composer
King of Castille and León Alfonso X (El Sábio), Composer
New London Consort
Philip Pickett, Conductor
Ben com'aos King of Castille and León Alfonso X (El Sábio), Composer
King of Castille and León Alfonso X (El Sábio), Composer
New London Consort
Philip Pickett, Conductor
Non e gran causa King of Castille and León Alfonso X (El Sábio), Composer
King of Castille and León Alfonso X (El Sábio), Composer
New London Consort
Philip Pickett, Conductor
Non sofre Santa María King of Castille and León Alfonso X (El Sábio), Composer
King of Castille and León Alfonso X (El Sábio), Composer
New London Consort
Philip Pickett, Conductor
Por dereito ten a Virgen King of Castille and León Alfonso X (El Sábio), Composer
King of Castille and León Alfonso X (El Sábio), Composer
New London Consort
Philip Pickett, Conductor
Quen a Virgen ben servira King of Castille and León Alfonso X (El Sábio), Composer
King of Castille and León Alfonso X (El Sábio), Composer
New London Consort
Philip Pickett, Conductor
Aj deus se sab'ora meu amigo Martin Codax, Composer
Martin Codax, Composer
New London Consort
Philip Pickett, Conductor
Aj ondas que eu vin veer Martin Codax, Composer
Martin Codax, Composer
New London Consort
Philip Pickett, Conductor
Atlas undas que venez sur la mar Martin Codax, Composer
Martin Codax, Composer
New London Consort
Philip Pickett, Conductor
Eno sagrado en vigo Martin Codax, Composer
Martin Codax, Composer
New London Consort
Philip Pickett, Conductor
Esperanza de totz ferms esperans Martin Codax, Composer
Martin Codax, Composer
New London Consort
Philip Pickett, Conductor
Mia jrmana fremosa treides comigo Martin Codax, Composer
Martin Codax, Composer
New London Consort
Philip Pickett, Conductor
Mundad' ei comigo Martin Codax, Composer
Martin Codax, Composer
New London Consort
Philip Pickett, Conductor
Ondas do mar de vigo Martin Codax, Composer
Martin Codax, Composer
New London Consort
Philip Pickett, Conductor
Quantas sabedes amar amigo Martin Codax, Composer
Martin Codax, Composer
New London Consort
Philip Pickett, Conductor
This remarkable two-disc album is far and away the most interesting recording I have heard in recent months. Scholarly, entertaining, sometimes brilliant, at times passionately moving, it offers a spectrum of Spanish music, monophonic, polyphonic and instrumental from the twelfth to the early fourteenth century. We are led along the pilgrim way,—the Camino Frances—towards the magnificent shrine of St James ''in the Field of Stars'', listening as we go to the tales of the pilgrims, to their horrendous adventures and to the miracles wrought for them by the Virgin Mary. We pause for a moment to hear a lament for King Sancho III, with its wide-ranging and beautiful mixolydian melody. At another resting-place we share the distress and longing of the girl on the hill overlooking Vigo's bay as she patiently awaits a lover who will never come. Then once more we are swept along the pilgrim way by the compelling rhythm of such pieces as A Madre de Deus, or by the rollicking pace of Ben com'aos—holding our breath an instant when the Virgin appears in a mysterious light; then onwards again, as we approach at last the shrine itself, marching this time to the sound of a genuine pilgrim's song, Dum pater familias, with high and low voices alternating.
Catherine Bott, the principal soprano, brings to her performance not only a high sense of drama, but also a confident grasp of the style required by each piece. She is able to adopt, when needed, that typical Spanish chest voice, or she can be plaintive, or passionate, or she can even resort with stunning effectiveness to speech—a low voice laden with emotion—when the music of one of the Cantigas de amigo is missing in the manuscript! The men, led by the tenor John Mark Ainsley, prefer the rich declamatory style demanded by the slower, more solemn pieces, notably Regi perennis, a gorgeous Benedicamus trope with alternating voices and organ. The rhythmic interpretation by the men of another delightful Benedicamus trope, Congaudeant catholici, is convincing and well under control.
The carved figures of the four-and-twenty Elders which adorn the Portico de la Gloria are shown in great detail, playing a whole range of medieval instruments. There is also a lively description in the Codex Calixtinus of an international gathering of music-making pilgrims, together with a list of contemporary instruments. Philip Pickett, inspired by this description and by the carvings, has brought together an impressive ensemble of instruments played by experts, both individually, and as an 'orchestra'. The instrumental accompaniments and the interludes, often the weakest part of any medieval reconstruction, are to my mind one of the strong points of this admirable recording.'

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