History Of Spanish Music, VolumeI

 

History of Spanish Music im Sound - Volume T

Side 1:

1. a. Porque trobar (Prólogo) - baritone

-. Des oge (1) - instruments

Nas mentes (29) - instruments

Deus te salve (40) - baritone

“Fazer pode (118) - tenor & chorus

O Tp oar» AT» Ars

Virga de Jesse (20) - tenor & chorus

Ay, Santa Maria (79) - children's choir

A que por muy gran fremosura (384) - baritone & chorus

O que en Santa Maria (216) - instruments

Santa Maria, strela do dia (100) - children's choir with solo á.

Como poden per sas culpas (166) - tenor & baritone

. Non sofre Santa Maria (159) - instruments

ALFONSO X, EL SABIO

(1221-1294)

Las Cantigas de Santa Maria

Side 2:

l.

CCP SER psy Es

Nenbres sete (11,1) - children's choir a cappella with solo

A Madre de Jhesucristo (302) - instruments

De muitas guisas (58) - children's choir with solo

Quen a omagen (353) - instruments

Pagar ben (25) - tenor

- Ben sab (179) - instruments

Pois que dos reys (2, II) - tenor

Quen ouver (222) - instruments

. Santa Maria (320) - tenor & chorus

Santa Maria, valed (279) - baritone

Sen calar (380) - baritone & chorus a cappella

. Petiçon (401) - tenor

Capilla Musical y Escolania de Santa Cruz del Valle de los Caidos (Fray Luis Lozano OSB, Director)

Atrium Musicae (Gregorio Paniagua, Director)

Jens Uwe EGGERS and Laurentino SÁENZ de BURUAGA, Tenors

It has been our aim to reproduce Spanish music of earlier

times with the greatest authenticity. It is a task divided into

several different parts: the selection, from manuscripts, of the

repertory; the choice of the best transcriptions or their realization

if none were available. Wherever possible, we have used the

original manuscripts. We have also used, or, in many cases, con-

structed the genuine instruments to produce the authentic sound.

We have reconstructed interpretive forms and trained performers,

so as to achieve the correct interpretation with respect to style.

And we have endeavored to achieve proper placing of the in-

struments and suitable acoustic surroundings. In all these aspects,

so varied and so difficult to achieve, the hearer can be sure of

finding the greatest authenticity that present-day paleography,

musicology and technology allow. All this means that the Col-

lection of Early Spanish Music is not only a more or less coherent

and successful artistic program. If it were only this, it would

still be very important; but we have actually turned back time,

holding to a strict, exacting postulate of reconstruction that 1

would call “resuscitating,” so as to relive Spain's distinguished

musical past. É

ROBERTO PLA

In 1221, Alfonso, who later would be called The Wise, was

born in Toledo, a city rich in cultural tradition. From the time

he was a child, he heard of how the reconquest was advancing

through Estremadura and Andalusia; then came the news of the

great Aragonese advance through the Levant and the Baleares.

Prince Alfonso was ten when his mother died and marriages were

planned for him. At the age of seventeen, he began to take an

active part in the military campaigns. At twenty, when his father,

the King, was ill, he directed a politico-military campaign which

leveled the Moorish kingdom of Murcia. Later, along with the

King, he would take part in the conquest of Seville.

But Alfonso had already begun to be interested in quite

different matters. He had gathered a group of helpers about him,

who were working toward making available to the Christians the

treasures of Islamic culture: literature, science, history.

In 1252 Alfonso was crowned King. From that time onward,

the number of his helpers increased considerably. Among these

were Christians (Hispanic and foreign), Moors and Jews. The

King gave all of them special attention, took care of their lodgings,

gave them books and working tools and formed teams in Burgos,

Toledo, Sevilla, Murcia. And with all this, the new King still had

time to continue the reconquest of the lands of Algarbe and

lower Andalusia, and spent great energy in aspiring to the crown

of the Holy Roman Empire. But as he saw his political enterprises

Producer: Roberto Pla e

Timings:

Side 1: 24:33 E PR

Side2: 24:45 4 é Ega, k

a the mu

JOSÉ LUIS OCHOA de OLZA, Baritone & Director

fail, Alfonso began to dedicate himself increasingly to cultural

projects. And he began to form “Las Siete Partidas” (Legal Code),

the Books of Knowledge of Astronomy, the Lapidary, the “Can-

tigas” of Saint Mary. When he died, in 1294, the General

Chronicle of Spain was almost finished and the Great and General

History was already in progress. Years ago, there was considerable

debate about the extent to which Alfonso himself was responsible

for his works. Today we know that his intervention was not

limited to the organization and direction of his schools, but that

he took a direct part in various stages of the writing. It is said

that perhaps the Cantigas are his most personal work.

Forty of the Alfonsian Cantigas have no narrative part: the

songs of praise (the 10th, 20th, 30th, 40th, etc). The others are

a collection of poetic narratives where, in accordance with the

taste of the century, a series of miracles are recounted, in which

the Virgin Mary intercedes for her devout. They are written in

“Gallego” (language spoken in Galicia, the north-west region of

Spain), then the most prestigious peninsular language for lyric

poetry. Most of the themes are found in other, similar collections;

in Spain, Gonzalo de Berceo, for example, often repeats narratives

of the Alfonsian songs. Initially, there were going to be one

hundred, but later the collection was expanded to slightly over

four hundred. The themes of the first hundred are, altogether,

the most similar to those ihat we might find in other collections

of Western Christianity; later Alfonso decided to increase the

number, and as the collection grew, he had to choose more local

narratives. Some of them are even based on personal anecdotes of

the King himself.

On the whole, the collection of miracles is very interesting

because they were to be sung, and we are very fortunate in that

the texts with their music are preserved. Much the same thing

happened to the music that, as we- explained, happened to the

texts. At the beginning, couri songs were used, or church chants,

but soon the collectors had to look elsewhere. The result is that in

these four hundred Alfonsian songs we not only have a beautiful

literary text, but the largest and most varied collection of secular

music of the thirteenth century. The Cantigas have reached us

through various manuscripts from the royal study. Some of them

are not complete, in others, part of the music was not copied,

in another the miniatures that decorate it were not finished,

another has lost a few pages. But on the whole they offer a

magnificent program. Thanks to them, we not only know the

four hundred literary compositions, but we can hear them with

their own music, and at the same time, by looking at their

miniatures, we can relive that fascinating world in which Spain

was the crossroads between East and West.

Stereo records may be played on modern mono equipment.

Ii is advisable to wipe record with antistatic dust cloth before playing.

sicaL NERITAGE SOCIETY INC.

1991 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, N. Y. 10023

The music of some of the cantigas presented serious difficulties

to the musicologists. It was not until 1934, when Higinio Anglés

offered an edition of the four hundred cantigas that modern eyes

could appreciate all their variety, until then completely unknown.

In the music, there are melodies that clearly show their troubadour

origin, others clearly recall liturgical models, the dance airs can

be recognized by everyone, those familiar with medieval music

think they can discover a meiody that was perhaps used by the

epic jongleurs when they sang their poems about Fernan González

or the Seven Princes. And there are more: We can be sure that

there, among the four hundred cantigas, have been examples for

us of other music and other styles about which we know nothing,

and which we cannot, therefore, compare to anything. Recall, for

instance, that there are no extant Hispanic Moslem songs of that

time or before. |

On the other hand, we do have many literary texts. We can

trace the thematic history of the Alfonsian cantigas throughout

all Christendom, finding that the roots of some of them reach as

far as India. Recently, almost halfway through this century, great

interest was aroused in the world of the Romanists, with the

discovery of a series of little Mozarabic songs (of the Christian

minority under Moorish rule) of the 11th and 12th centuries in

which were found themes of Gallego-Portuguese poetry of the

l2th and 13th centuries. These in turn, greatly influenced the

Alfonsian cantigas. On other, similar trails we can see how, from

the 10th century, a certain type of strophic song (aabbba) was

popular among Moors and Christians alike. This same structure

can be seen in the few examples of this record (Cantigas 58, 118

and 179). If so many references can be found in the words of

the cantigas, what couldn't we say about the music, if only we

had a hundred examples from before the time of Alfonso? The

notation of the Alfonsian manuscripts gives no indication of how

the cantigas were accompanied, but the miniatures in the manu-

scripts not only tell us about the instruments used to accompany,

but they give pictures of various instrumental groupings. The

miniatures also tell us how the cantigas were performed by

court groups, how the devout danced David-like before an image

of the Virgin, or they show the jongleurs helping in the compo-

sition of the book, or how a Christian jongleur sings, accompanied

by a Moor.

And all this immense variety is what the selected examples

of this record want to show.

GONZALO MENENDEZ-PIDAL

(Translated from the Spanish by Martha Litchman)

Recorded by HISPAVOX of Spain

Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 72-751625

A cena

OR 302 | | OR 302

History of Spanish Music in Sound - Volume I

ALFONSO X, EL SABIO: Las Cantigas de Santa Maria

Side 1:

1. a. PROLOGUE. Writing verses calls for knowledge and

skill, and while I haven't as much of either as |

should like, I trust to God that I shall be able to

convey a measure of what I want. And what I want

is to have the Virgin accept me as her minstrel.

Porque trobar é cousa en que jaz

entendimento, poren quen o faz

ão d'aver, et de razon assaz,

perque entenda at sabia dizer

o que entend' e de dizer Ile praz;

ca ben trobar assi s'á de ffazer.

1. À song of praise (znstrumental).

c. 20. À song of praise.

Virga de Jesse,

iquen te soubesse

loar como mereces,

et sen ouvesse,

per que dissesse

quanto por nós padeces!

Ca tu noit' e dia

senpr' estas rogando

teu Fill, aí, Maria!

por nós, que, andando

aqui peccando

et mal obrando,

que tu muit avorreces,

non quera, quando

sever” julgando,

catar nossas sandeces.

. 29. In Gethsemane there are likenesses of the Virgin

which were neither painted nor carved, but were

divinely wrought in the rocks, to show us that it is

the duty of all creatures to honor the Mother of

God. (instrumental).

. 40. Songs of praise.

Deus te salve, groriosa

reynna Maria,

lume dos santos fremosa

et dos ceos via.

Salvete, que concebiste

mui contra natura,

et pois teu Padre pariste

et ficaste pura

virgen; et poren sobiste

sobe la altura

dos ceos, porque quesiste

o que el queria

Deus te salve, groriosa, etc...

- 118. À woman of Saragossa whose children had all

been stillborn offered a waxen child to the Virgin.

When her fourth child was likewise stillborn, the

woman so pleaded with Saint Mary to ask for a

miracle that the last-born came to life.

Fazer pode d'outri vivelos seus

fillos aquela que Madr' é de Deus.

D'est' un miragre direi que oy

que. fez a Virgen, per com” aprendi,

en Saragoça, d'óna moller y

que paria mortolos fillos seus.

Fazer pode d'outri vivelos seus

brained. The Blessed Virgin appeared to her in a

dream, surrounded by maidens of marvelous beauty.

“If thou wouldst go with them,” said the Virgin to

Musa, who wanted to join them, “give up laughter

and play, pride and haughtiness, and thou shalt be

together with us within thirty days.” Musa mended

her ways, and at the end of thirty days, her spirit was

taken up by God.

| Ay, Santa Maria!

quen se per vós guya

quit" é de folia

e sempre faz ben

Porend' un miragre

vos direi, fremoso,

que fezo a Madre

do Rey grorioso;

e de o oyt seer

vos à saboroso,

e prazer má en.

. 384, There was a devoted monk who painstakingly

inscribed the name of Saint Mary in three colors,

gold, blue and red, and he fell seriously ill. A fellow

monk who watched at his bedside had a dream in

which he saw the Virgin approach the bed where this

good servant lay, saying: “Because thou hast wrought

my name so beautifully, I will take thee up into

Heaven, and thy name shall be written in the book

of the immortals.” The monk awoke and found his

companion dead.

A que por muy gran fremosura

este chamada Fror das frores,

mui mais lle praz cuando lle loam

seu nome que d'outras loores.

D'esto direi un miragre,

segundo me foi contado,

que avêo a un monge

boo et ben ordinado

et que as oras d'esta Virgen

dizia de muy bon grado,

et mayor sabor end” avia

d'aquesto que d'outras sabores.

c. 216. À very rich knight, whose wife was devoted to

Saint Mary, lost all he had and entered the devil's

service, in order to regain his fortune. As a condition,

the devil asked him to bring his wife to a mountain

top, so that he might talk with her. As they passed

by the church, the woman entered to pray for a

moment, and fell asleep at the altar. The Virgin

assumed her likeness and continued the journey with

the knight. The devil fed when he saw her, and the

knight repented. (znstrumental).

O que en Santa Maria

de coraçon confiar”,

non se tema que o possa

per ren o dem” enganar.

D'aquest' ora un miragre

fremoso quero dizer,

que eu oy, d'óa dona

que fillava gran prazer

en servir Santa Maria,

et en o seu ben fazer,

pôya sua fazenda

et todo seu asperar.

Ca veer fazelos errados

que perder foran per pecados

entender de que mui culpados

son; mais per ti son perdoados

da ousadia que lles fazia

fazer folia mais que non deveria.

Santa María, strela do dia, etc...

- 166. A man who was paralyzed because of his sins,

and who had not been able to move for five years,

promised that, should he be cured, he would go to

Salas and carry a pound of wax to the Virgin every

year. His health was instantly restored, and he cheer-

fully kept his promise, just as one who feels no ill.

Como poden per sas culpas

os omes seer contreitos,

assi poden pela Virgen

depois seer sãos feitos.

Ond' avêo a un ome,

por pecados que fezera,

que foi tolleito dos nembros

d'ôa door que ouvera,

et durou assi cinc” anos

que moverse non podera:

assi avia os nembros

todos do corpo maltreitos.

. 159. Listen to a miracle that I heard told by some

pilgrims who went to pray at Rocamador: Aftey they

had sought out lodging in the town, they sent a

servant to buy meat, bread and wine for their dinner.

When they returned after praying to the Virgin, they

ordered that nine pieces of meat be cooked, one for

each of them, but when they took the meat from the

pot, they noticed that one piece was missing, it having

been stolen by the servant-girl. Then they set about

searching throughout the house, praying all the while

to Saint Mary. They heard a pounding noise coming

from inside a coffer, and when they opened it, there

was the meat, jumping to and fro. Amazed, they went

out on the street to summon the people, and they

hung the piece of meat on a silken cord, before the

altar of the Virgin. (instrumental).

Side 2:

1. a. 11, I. Ask Saint Mary to pray for us.

Nenbres sete, Madre de Deus, Maria,

Que a el, teu Padre, roguestoda via

Pois estas en sa compania,

E es aquela que nos guia.

Que, pois nos ele fazer quis, sempre noit'e dia

Nos guarde, per que sejamos fis que sa felonia

Non nos mostrar queira;

Mais dénos enteira

A. ssa granada merçee,

Pois nossa fraqueza vee,

E nossa folia con ousadia.

Que non desvia da bôa via,

Que levarianos u devia,

U nos daria sempr' alegria

Que non falrria nen menguaria,

Mas creçeria e pojaria,

E compriria

En çimaria

ER fillos aquela que Madr'e de Deus.

3. à. 79. There was a girl by the name of Musa who was

very beautiful and genteel, but conceited and hare-

4. a. 100. À song of praise. RE a apa dueto ARES DRE =À- nós. «

Santa Maria, strela do día, SE ds b. 302. A miserable wretch who had joined some other

mostranos via pera Deus et nos guia. | people on a pilgrimage stole the money from the alms

ALFONSO X, el Sabio

Las Cantigas de Santa Maria

OR 302 STEREO

Side | 33% RPM

I. a. Porque trobar (Prólogo) b, Des oge (1)

c. Virga de Jesse (20)

2. a. Nas mentes (29) b. Deus te salve (40)

c. Fazer pode (118)

3. a. Ay, Santa Maria (79) b. À que por muy gran

fremosura (384) c. O que en Santa Maria (216)

4. a. Santa Maria, strela do dia (100)

b. Como poden per sas culpas (166)

c. Non soíre Santa Maria (159)

Capilla Musical y Escolania de Santa

Cruz del Valie de los Caidos

Atrium Musicae

Jens Uwe ESGERS, Tenor

JOSE LUIS OCHOA de OLZA,

Baritone & Director

Uy Recorded by Hispavox nes

s, NE

Ca HERITAGE SOCIE!

ALFONSO X, el Sabio

Las Cantigas de Santa Maria

OR 302 STEREO

Side 2 33% RPM

|. a. Nenbres sete (I[,1) b. À Madre de Jhesucristo (302)

c. De muitas guisas (58)

2. a. Quen a omagen (353) b. Pagar ben (25)

c, Ben sab (179)

3. a. Pois que dos reys (2, ||) b. Quen ouver (222)

e. Santa Maria (320)

4. a, Santa Maria, valed (279)

b. Sen calar (380) c. Peticon (401)

Capilla Musical y Escolania de Santa

Cruz de! Valle de los Caidos

Atrium Musicae

Jens Uwe ESGERS & L. SAENZ de

BURUAGA, Tenors

JOSE LUIS OCHOA de OLZA,

Baritone & Director