Cantigas de Amigo

Cantigas de Amigo - Songs for a Friend
13th-Century Galician-Portuguese Songs & Dances of Love, Longing & Devotion
Ensemble Alcatraz / Kitka - Women's Vocal Ensemble / Angelorum - Medieval Harp Choir
Dorian Recordings DOR-90 285

Contents:

    Alfonso el Sabio (attr.): Cantigas de Santa Maria
  1. Cantiga 380: Sen calar

    2. Trad. Galicia
  2. Alborada

    3. Juao Bolseiro (t) / Kammen (m)
  3. Sen meu amigo

    4. Trad., portuguese melody, arr. Higginson
  4. Alvorada

    5. Pero Meogo (t) / Kammen (m)
  5. Enas verdes ervas

    6. Martin de Padrozelos (t) / Trad. Catalan (m)
  6. Por Deus

    7. Alfonso el Sabio (attr.): Cantigas de Santa Maria
  7. Cantiga 11: Macar ome per folia (instr.)

    8. King Dinis (t) / Higginson (m)
  8. Levantous' a velida

    9. Anon. (t) / Higginson (m)
  9. Bailemos nos jas todas (on text: Airas Nunes de Santiago)

    10. Martin Codax: Cantigas de amigo
  10. I.: Ondas do mare
  11. II.: Mandad'ei comigo
  12. III.: Mia irmana fremosa
  13. IV.: Ai Deus, se sab'ora meu amigo
  14. V.: Quantas sabedes amare amigo
  15. VI.: Eno sagrado en Vigo
  16. VII.: Ai ondas que eu vin veere

    17. Alfonso el Sabio (attr.): Cantigas de Santa Maria
  17. Cantiga 10: Rosa das rosas

Playing time: 65' 25"

Performers:
Ensemble Alcatraz [Cheryl Ann Fulton (harps), Kit Higginson (recorders, psaltery), Shira Kammen (vielle, rebec), Peter Maund (percussion), Susan Rode Morris (soprano)] / Kitka - Women's Vocal Ensemble [Leslie Bonnett, Shira Cion, Catherine Rose Crowther, Deborah Dietrich, Juliana Graffagna, Janet Kutulas, Ann Moorhead, Lily Storm] / Angelorum - Medieval Harp Choir [Bertty Nelson (harp), Dfiana Rowan (harp), Eva Palviainen (harp)]

Recording site and date:
Soundwalker Sound, Marin, CA, USA [11/1999]

Reviewed in:
Diapason (#-p.):
Early Music America (Vol./#-p.):
Fanfare (Vol./#-p.):
Goldberg (#-p.): 14-72 (spring 2001)
Gramophone (Vol./#-p.):

Comments:
Information from owned CD.

Pierre-F. Roberge

The present program not only creates music for the 6th Cantiga de Amigo, which survives without music, but for several other lyric songs of the period. These musicians pride themselves on fitting medieval-style melodies to lyrics.

A couple of recent programs featuring the Cantigas de Amigo as written by Martin Codax in Galicia:

Bella Domna
The Medieval Woman: Lover, poet, patroness and saint
Sinfonye - Stevie Wishart
Hyperion 66283
Ondas do mar
El Canto de Amor en el Mediterraneo del siglo XIII
Ensemble Cantilena Antiqua - Stefano Albarello
Symphonia 98157
Distant Love
Songs of Jaufre Rudel & Martin Codax
Paul Hillier & Andrew Lawrence-King
Harmonia Mundi USA 907203
Wanderers' Voices
Medieval Cantigas & Minnesang
Newberry Consort - Mary Springfels
Harmonia Mundi USA 907082

For more listings, see comprehensive Martin Codax Discography.

And a closely related program, but not featuring Codax:

Cantigas de Santuarios
La religiosidad popular en la lírica gallego-portuguesa del siglo XIII
Ensemble Lauda - Henry Vidal
Aliud 1112

Other recordings by the present ensemble:

Visions and Miracles
Gallician and Latin Sacred Songs from 13th-century Spain
Ensemble Alcatraz
Nonesuch 79180
Danse Royale
French, Anglo-Norman and Latin songs and dances from the 13th century
Ensemble Alcatraz
Nonesuch 79240

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Todd M. McComb