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Brilliant Classics

Raval: Ricercari & Canzonette

$12.99

Details

Composer
Sebastian Raval
Artist
La violondrina, Maria Alejandra Saturno, Victoria Cassano
Format
CD
Label
Brilliant Classics
Released
Feb 07, 2025
Catalog #
BRI97226
UPC
5028421972268

About

This recording fills a gap in our understanding of Sebastian Raval (c.1550-1604), a composer who has proved elusive to posthumous fame. Of noble origin, he was born on an unknown date in the region of Murcia (possibly in Cartagena). He fought in the Siege of Maastricht (1579) with the Spanish Tercios in Flanders, and, severely wounded, retired to Italy where he became a friar and worked as a musician. Although musician-nobles were abundant in the 16th century, the presumption of a certain amateurism has marginalized them in the gene- ral historical narrative. Additionally, following a musical argument with Sicilian composer Achille Falcone, Raval was painted unfairly by partisan critics as arrogant and untalented, a view that persisted in Italian historiography, whereas in Spain he was largely ignored (most likely due to a career spent outside his home country). Yet the canzonette on this album dispel any doubts about Raval's talent. A light genre setting anonymous texts inspired by Petrarch in a madrigalian vein, canzonette - and particularly Raval's - abound with themes of love. Although this genre was not inclined towards musical experimentation, there is a certain evolution from the classic canzonette of Orazio Vecchi (in the 1580s) to later examples by Luca Marenzio; Raval's compositions, created in his pre-Roman period, fall at an intermediate point therein. The choice of four voices with high tessituras and a baritone follows Vecchi's style. Raval however uses a more imitative language, and in this aspect he is closer to Marenzio without reaching the latter's declamatory style. Not only is Raval's book of ricercari the only one composed by a Spanish musician; it's content reveals a rare contrapuntal ingenuity and a restless, innovative spirit that cannot go unnoti- ced. The volume reached us by sheer good fortune. Only one copy of each part-book was preserved in the archive of the cathedral of Valladolid. Thanks to this, today we can enjoy this rare music, not just for it's artistry but also for it's delicacy.

Tracklist 19 tracks

  1. 1 Qual fenice morendo 02:28
    Track
    1
    Title
    Qual fenice morendo
    Duration
    02:28
    Composer
    Sebastián Raval
    Ensemble
    La Violondrina
  2. 2 Ricercar del sesto tono naturale 02:50
    Track
    2
    Title
    Ricercar del sesto tono naturale
    Duration
    02:50
    Composer
    Sebastián Raval
    Ensemble
    La Violondrina
  3. 3 S'el fuoco me lontan 02:15
    Track
    3
    Title
    S'el fuoco me lontan
    Duration
    02:15
    Composer
    Sebastián Raval
    Ensemble
    La Violondrina
  4. 4 Ricercar del decimo tuono 02:59
    Track
    4
    Title
    Ricercar del decimo tuono
    Duration
    02:59
    Composer
    Sebastián Raval
    Ensemble
    La Violondrina
  5. 5 Viderunt te aque Deus per Organum 03:01
    Track
    5
    Title
    Viderunt te aque Deus per Organum
    Duration
    03:01
    Composer
    Sebastián Raval
    Ensemble
    La Violondrina
  6. 6 Valor heroico son 02:05
    Track
    6
    Title
    Valor heroico son
    Duration
    02:05
    Composer
    Sebastián Raval
    Ensemble
    La Violondrina
  7. 7 Ricercar del nono tuono 03:21
    Track
    7
    Title
    Ricercar del nono tuono
    Duration
    03:21
    Composer
    Sebastián Raval
    Ensemble
    La Violondrina
  8. 8 Chiari zaffir son gl'occhi 02:03
    Track
    8
    Title
    Chiari zaffir son gl'occhi
    Duration
    02:03
    Composer
    Sebastián Raval
    Ensemble
    La Violondrina
  9. 9 Ricercar del primo tuono 03:49
    Track
    9
    Title
    Ricercar del primo tuono
    Duration
    03:49
    Composer
    Sebastián Raval
    Ensemble
    La Violondrina
  10. 10 Ondeggiavano a l'aura 02:27
    Track
    10
    Title
    Ondeggiavano a l'aura
    Duration
    02:27
    Composer
    Sebastián Raval
    Ensemble
    La Violondrina
  11. 11 Se per un solo scherno 02:27
    Track
    11
    Title
    Se per un solo scherno
    Duration
    02:27
    Composer
    Sebastián Raval
    Ensemble
    La Violondrina
  12. 12 De stelle nelle chiome 01:57
    Track
    12
    Title
    De stelle nelle chiome
    Duration
    01:57
    Composer
    Sebastián Raval
    Ensemble
    La Violondrina
  13. 13 Ricercar del primo tono, trasportato in quattro fughe d'accordo 02:45
    Track
    13
    Title
    Ricercar del primo tono, trasportato in quattro fughe d'accordo
    Duration
    02:45
    Composer
    Sebastián Raval
    Ensemble
    La Violondrina
  14. 14 Corri alma mia 01:45
    Track
    14
    Title
    Corri alma mia
    Duration
    01:45
    Composer
    Sebastián Raval
    Ensemble
    La Violondrina
  15. 15 Ricercar del secondo tono, trasportato in quattro fughe d'accordo 04:18
    Track
    15
    Title
    Ricercar del secondo tono, trasportato in quattro fughe d'accordo
    Duration
    04:18
    Composer
    Sebastián Raval
    Ensemble
    La Violondrina
  16. 16 Dimmi se cieco sei 02:03
    Track
    16
    Title
    Dimmi se cieco sei
    Duration
    02:03
    Composer
    Sebastián Raval
    Ensemble
    La Violondrina
  17. 17 Ricercar del terzo tono naturale 03:16
    Track
    17
    Title
    Ricercar del terzo tono naturale
    Duration
    03:16
    Composer
    Sebastián Raval
    Ensemble
    La Violondrina
  18. 18 E come veggio la mia morte 02:34
    Track
    18
    Title
    E come veggio la mia morte
    Duration
    02:34
    Composer
    Sebastián Raval
    Ensemble
    La Violondrina
  19. 19 Ricercar del undecimo tono, trasportato in quattro fughe d'accordo 04:00
    Track
    19
    Title
    Ricercar del undecimo tono, trasportato in quattro fughe d'accordo
    Duration
    04:00
    Composer
    Sebastián Raval
    Ensemble
    La Violondrina