La Cité des Dames is a collection of female authors' works, active in liturgical, paraliturgical, secular, vocal and instrumental music. Some are very famous: Kassia, Hildegard of Bingen, Landsberg Herrada, Beatriz de Día. Others are less known: Héloïse, Margaret of Austria and Anne Boleyn. This album also pays special attention to Hispanic composers: Blanche of Castile and Gracia Baptista.
Neither Lucrezia Borgia nor any of the female members of the nobility in that time ever had a musical chapel, unlike their respective husbands. However, part of his domestic budget was destined to string instrument players maintenance, singers and, to a very important person: a dance teacher. If being aware of the latest fashion dances was a socially essential issue, so it was musical evenings organization, with the common instrumental group composed by lutes or violas, an instrument that seems to had it's origins in Valencia in the middle of XV century, and from there traveled to Italy. About Lucrezia musical taste nothing is known, but not so her husband Alfonso d'Este, who (perhaps) in homage to his new wife was at the head of six violas consort in the celebrations of their own wedding, reflected in this Capella de Ministrers recording.
The Silk Road is one of the most remarkable achievements in the history of civilizations. Along this great Silk Road travelled not only the executors of trade, but also the cultures of nations, spiritual values and religious ideas. Silk has been one of the items around which has turned the relationship between nations of the East and West, and through silk a technological, economic, artistic and cultural communication has been produced between geographically- different areas, which have turned it into a route of transmission of knowledge, a route of interchange of cultures and customs. We too have been formed by it, making us more aware of our multicultural past, of which Islam formed part with key contributions, amongst which is worth underlining the introduction of the silk industry into the European continent. This is a musical journey through the territories of the Silk Road, across borders. It is a unique experience to share this common heritage, by recovering the past in order for it to be borne to the present, using music as a universal language.
This musical presentation by Capella de Ministrers leaps out from its origins in mediaeval myths and literature to give listeners a direct connection with the true meaning of the Grail. It is a journey encompassing the various musical traditions along the path taken by the Grail through the centuries, from the Holy Land to Brittany, from the Pyrenees to San Juan de la Peña until its ultimate arrival at Valencia Cathedral. The Grail is both legendary and mystical, a holy relic that appeared in stories during the middle part of the mediaeval period. It is a precious and mysterious object in the shape of a plate full of Christian symbolism, like the bloody lance which is reminiscent of the lance thrust into the body of Christ on the cross – the mystery of redemption and eternal life. From Crusade songs, chants sung in pilgrimage centers, mediaeval literature reflected in music, to the emblematic symbolism the Grail acquired with Alfonso the Magnanimous. Towards the end of the Middle Ages when the Turks were circling Constantinople, it seems that the ideal of the Crusades disappears like a dream and only a vague memory of the Grail endures, while Alfonso the Magnanimous proudly displays the Perilous Chair as a heraldic device which glorifies his deeds. Virtud apurar no’m fretura sola (My virtue will not falter until I reach my goal). Capella de Ministrers has gathered together music and poetry from the Middle Ages by authors and composers such as Chre´tien de Troyes, Robert de Boron, Wolfram von Eschembach and He´linand de Froidmont. The music and poetry is all linked to the subject of the Grail and encourages us to discover its meaning through our own personal quest, based on our knowledge of the past and through the recreation of the music.
Saint Francis of Assisi is one of the most universal figures in Western history, venerated not only by the Catholic tradition but also by Protestant and Orthodox communities, as well as by many non-Christians drawn to his message of poverty, fraternity, and love for creation. This recording offers a sonic journey through the 13th and 14th centuries, focusing on the spiritual and intellectual context of the Order of Friars Minor on the occasion of the 800th anniversary of his death (1226-2026).
Doménikos Theotokópoulos’s (El Greco) travels through 16th century Europe in search of work and patronage are mirrored in this musical journey from Crete, his birthplace, to Venice, Rome and, finally, the Spanish city of Toledo.
The historically studious, oft-recorded and well-traveled group Capella de Ministrers, directed by Carles Magraner, favors the musical Spanish patrimony from medieval times up to the 19th century.
The enacting of the Alhambra edict in 1492 caused a forced migration of Spain’s remaining Jews. With them traveled the liturgical texts of poets from Spain’s “Jewish golden age”, and all the music that today preserves the oral tradition, songs and poems of medieval Hispanic culture. This release represents a part of that musical legacy, a fragment of the tradition and the history of the Sephardic Diaspora. Founded in 1987, the renowned Capella de Ministrers ensemble, directed by Carles Magraner, offers historical rigor, musical sensibility and, unparalleled communicative abilities.
Cantigas De Santa Maria / Magraner, Capella de Ministrers
Capella De Minstrers
CD
$20.99Apr 09, 2021
This release compiles Cantigas de Santa Maria from Capella de Ministrers' recordings: El Grial (CDM1845), La Ruta de la Seda (CDM1743), Ramon Llull (CDM1640), Moresca (CDM1028), Musica Angelica (PMV004) and Lamento di Tristano (CDM0307). The edition of this album commemorates the 800th anniversary of the birth of Alfonso X el Sabio, the 10th anniversary of Early Music Morella and Xacobeo 2021. Ever since its foundation in 1987, the Capella de Ministrers ensemble, directed by Carles Magraner, has developed an important investigative and musicological task in favor of the musical Spanish patrimony, from the medieval times up to the 19th century. The result transformed into musical testimony, brings together the perfection of three key factors: the historical rigor, the musical sensibility and, specially, an uncontrollable desire to communicate and they make us participants of these experiences.
Mediterrània: Un Mar de Música / Magraner, Capella de Ministrers
Capella De Minstrers
CD
$20.99Oct 22, 2021
Capella de Ministrers, whether intentionally or not, are reclaiming their Mediterranean personality. This is nothing new and it is something they have stood up for throughout their career, bringing it to the stage in their live performances and in their fifty recordings. The idea of the Mediterranean is not exclusively geographical in nature, it is rather a philosophy relating to the way in which music survives culturally. It all begins on land, of course, but eyes turn towards the sea in a poetic extension which is as natural as it is creative. The sea sparks the imagination and reaches places where a fresh gaze and dialogue enrich musical and historical understanding. On this occasion, the sea takes us to Italy and specifically to Naples where emotions spark off in many different directions.
This release is the third and final installment of “Ramon Llull: l’ultim pelegrinatge.” The songs featured on this album bear traces of the Mediterranean coasts, where Llull journeyed in the last years of his life. The Capella de Ministrers conducted by Carles Magraner perform alongside the Musica Reservata Barcelona for this auspicious recording.
Morales' Lamentations were his best-known works, together with his Masses and Magnificats. This repertoire enjoyed an extraordinary international fame in Europe and the New World within the context of Pre-Tridentine and Post-Tridentine liturgy, owing principally to the fact that these works were composed to be performed in some of the most prestigious chapel choirs of the Renaissance. This recording by Capella de Ministrers recovers the interpretative context of this repertoire in accordance with the musical practice of Emperor Carlos V's Royal Chapel Choir, whereby the Lamentations were sung polyphonically with an instrumental accompaniment on violones.
The musical programme presented by Capella de Ministrers is built around this premise: Spanish music from 1500 to 1650, the Renaissance to the Baroque, with a mix of composers and song books relating to Miguel de Cervantes and his ironic chiaroscuro. There is a rich seam of references in Cervantes’ work (and not only in Don Quixote) to the music, musical customs and dance in Spain during the 16th century and the early part of the 17th century
The Ritual and the Cycle of Life that shape the repertory of Capella de Ministrers transcend cultural boundaries through the profound common root of the Mediterranean peoples. For centuries this mare nostrum has been a meeting ground, a space of coexistence for Jewish, Sephardic, Arab, Turkish, Greek, and many other communities, who shared languages, customs, and music in a web of exchanges and cross-fertilizations. After the expulsion of the Sephardic Jews from Spain in 1492, their communities maintained and enriched their musical and social traditions in their new settlements around the Mediterranean basin. Out of this arose a musical culture of great richness and diversity, expressed in many tongues-Hebrew, Arabic, Turkish, Bulgarian, Ladino-emblems of coexistence and dialogue among diverse peoples. Music is a universal language, able to convey sorrow, hope, spirituality, and the daily life of those who perform and share it. It is living testimony of collective memory and a tool of social cohesion. When we evoke places such as Casablanca, Salonika, Sofia, Ferrara, Venice, Odessa, Istanbul, Tangier, Algiers, Tunis, Tripoli, Alexandria, Smyrna, or Jerusalem, we are giving voice to a common cultural memory and celebrating the dignity and historical wealth of the peoples of the Mediterranean. This Ritual, born of crossroads and of shared histories, embodies plurality, coexistence, and the integrative force of culture, standing against oblivion, genocide, and exclusion. To honor this legacy is itself an act of historical recognition and a pledge for coexistence, peace, and dialogue among cultures.
Soundscape of the Corpus Christi procession in Valencia (17th-18th centuries) The Feast of Corpus Christi, established in 1264 by Pope Urban IV, became one of Valencia's most important and magnificent celebrations. It's origins are tied to a Eucharistic miracle that occurred in Valencian territory-the Miracle of the Corporals of Llutxent-Daroca around 1239. This connection helped Valencia become one of the first cities in the Iberian Peninsula to organize a general Corpus Christi procession, beginning in 1355. By the 17th century, the celebration had evolved into a grand public spectacle, rich in music, theatre, and ritual. On the eve of the feast, a parade called the Cavalcada del Convit invited the populace to participate, while the afternoon featured traditional religious theatre in Valencian (els Misteris) and choreographed dances commissioned for the procession. The main procession was a stunning display involving the whole of Valencian society-from guilds to the highest civic, royal, and ecclesiastical authorities. A rich musical tapestry accompanied every step: folk instruments like the dolcainaand tabal, dramatic theatre music, ceremonial city bands, plainchant from clergy, and elaborate polyphony performed by the Cathedral's chapel. In 1672, municipal musician Josep Gomar compiled a manuscript preserving the texts and music of these plays and rituals. Today, this music offers a rare glimpse into the soundscape of baroque Valencia. This concert brings those sounds back to life, allowing audiences to relive the awe and splendor of the city's most cherished feast. Imagine yourself on a Valencian street in the late 1600s, watching and hearing the vibrant procession pass by-an unforgettable journey into the soul of a city's tradition.
The Christian tradition's liturgical repertoire prominently features Masses and Offices commemorating the life of Christ and feast days of saints. Alongside this, another significant repertoire revolves around Christ and the saints through their relics, which are venerated as physical representations of divine presence. These relics vary in significance, with those tied directly to Christ holding the highest status, followed by those connected to the Virgin Mary, John the Baptist, Apostles, and holy martyrs. A notable private collection of relics belonged to the Byzantine Emperor until 1204, when it was mostly acquired by Louis IX of France, who constructed the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris to house them. Similarly, in the Kingdom of Aragon, relics were venerated in a royal context, with a collection established during the reign of Martin I. This collection included fragments of the Holy Cross, the Holy Grail, and relics of Saint George, which were later deposited in the cathedral of Valencia. This presentation of relics was not only a spiritual practice but also integrated into religious ceremonies, often accompanied by hymns and prayers. Many of these relic-based traditions have been preserved in manuscripts that reflect medieval spirituality, offering a glimpse into the deep connection between relics, music, and devotion. The music associated with these relics, though little known today, is a rich part of the medieval cultural and religious legacy.
Bicinia and Love Villancicos in the Uppsala Songbook. "Villancicos (songs) by various composers for two, three, four and five voices, now freshly revised..." (Venice, 1556) - this is the name under which the Duke of Calabria's Songbook (or the Uppsala Songbook) was printed. The selection of villancicos it contains is grouped under three themes: popular songs and pastoral songs; Christmas carols, and love songs. In this album we can listen to a selection from this songbook of works for two and three voices, some of them instrumental works under the title 'Polyphonic song themes", which are structured as exercises in composition around Gregorian techniques.
Leonardo da Vinci's grotesque heads place us far from the search for beauty, in a world at odds with form (deformity) and the norm (abnormality). Is there music in that world? Music –which is, by definition, harmony– has historically found a role in the world of the grotesque thanks to its eternal symbiosis with the word and the body. This grotesque music program dives into those sources.
Ever since its foundation in 1987, the Capella de Ministrers ensemble, directed by Carles Magraner, has developed an important investigative and musicological task in favor of the musical Spanish patrimony, from the medieval times up to the 19th century. The result transformed into musical testimony, brings together the perfection of three key factors: the historical rigor, the musical sensibility and, specially, an uncontrollable desire to communicate and they make us participants of these experiences.
Ibn Hazm of Córdoba: El collar de la paloma / Magraner, Capella de Ministrers
Capella De Minstrers
CD
$20.99Apr 22, 2022
All the works on this release are modal improvisations (mawwal) or adaptations of instrumental music, anonymous Arabic-Andalusian classical and traditional songs. Poet Ibn Hazm of Córdoba was born in 994 and lived through the most critical years of Islamic al-Andalus. His era witnessed the break-up of the Caliphate and the formation of taifas, which inevitably hastened the decline of Moslem power in the Iberian peninsula. He was a privileged witness of these events, and he records them with a rich and prolific, encyclopedic opus. The Ring of the Dove is an eleventh century prose work written in Arabic by Ibn Hazm. The full title of the work is The Ring of the Dove, On Love and Lovers. The title reflects the custom in the Arabic literature of the period to create ornamental titles: a dove is pretty, but it is the ring that allows it to achieve optimal beauty.
