La Vida de María

La Vida de María - The Life of Mary - Das Leben Marias
Cantigas for the Feasts of Holy Mary / Cantigas de las Festas de Santa María - Alfonso el Sabio 1221-1284
Grupo de Música Antigua - Eduardo Paniagua
Sony "Hispánica" S2K 62284 (2 CDs)
Pneuma « Colección Cantigas » PN2-610 (2 CDs)

Contents:

    CD-1

  1. CSM 100: Estrella del día "Santa María, Strela do dia" (trumpet marine, añafil, drums, bagpipes, axabeba, lute, cymbals)
  2. CSM 410: Prologo das cinco festas "Quem Santa María" (4 voices, choirboys, trumpet marine, oud, andalusí lute, axabeba, viola, drum)
  3. CSM 412: Alva dos alvores "Virgen Madre groriosa" (tenor, bagpipes, psaltery, lute, viola)
  4. CSM 411: Natividad "Beeyto foi o dia" (4 voices, viola, oud, andalusí lute, axabeba, fahl, bagpipes, drum, darbuga, tar)
  5. CSM 413: Virgiidad "Tod' aqueste mund' a loar deveria" (2 sopranos, countertenor, chorus, choirboys, hurdy-gurdy, viola, axabeba, flute, percussion)
  6. CSM 414: Triidad de Santa María "Como Deus é comprida Triidade" (3 voices, viola, trumpet marine, percussion)
  7. CSM 288: Madre de Jhesu Cristo "A Madre de Jhesu-Cristo, vedes a quen apparece" (flute, oud, shawm, recorder, tar, percussion)
  8. CSM 330: Madre de Dios "Madre de Deus, Nostro Sennor" (soprano, tenor, flute, drum, tabila, bells)
  9. CSM 180: Vieja y Niña "Vella e ninya" (soprano, choirboys, santur, viola, oud, psaltery, axabeba, recorder, drum, bells)
  10. CSM 120: Humanidad de Santa María "Quantos me creveren loarán" (countertenor, tenor, chorus, shawm, bagpipes, percussion)
  11. CD-2

  12. CSM 384: Fror das frores "A que por gran fremosura é chamada Fror das frores" (kaval, fujaras, psaltery, viola)
  13. CSM 415: Anunciación "Tan beeyta foi a saudaçon" (soprano, tenor, chorus, oud, kaval, recorder, percussion)
  14. CSM 416: Ave María "Muito foi noss' amigo Gabriel" (soprano, chorus, choirboys, viola, oud, andalusí lute, psaltery, axabeba, bagpipes)
  15. CSM 80: Saludo del angel "De graça chea e d'amor de Deus" (soprano, chorus, recorders, axabeba, fistula, zarb, darbuga)
  16. CSM 417: Purificación Candelaria "Nobre don e muy preçado" (countertenor, tenor, chorus, psaltery, viola, shawm, oud, zarb)
  17. CSM 418: Sete does "Os sete does que dá Deus" (choirboys, zither, oud, cittern, viola, flute, tar, cymbals)
  18. CSM 285: Monya y caballero"Do dem' a perfia" (2 violas, recorders, bells, cymbals)
  19. CSM 419: Asunción "Des quando Deus sa Madre aos çeos levou" (4 voices, axabeba, viola, oud, recorder, bagpipes, zarb, drum, tar, cymbals)
  20. CSM 420: Proçessión "B&etilde;eyta es, María" (tenor, trumpet marine, viola, cantara)
  21. CSM 421: Día do juyzio "Nenbre-sse-te, Madre de Deus, María" (2 sopranos, recorder, viola)
  22. CSM 422: Juyzio Sibila "Madre de Deus, ora por nos" (tenor, countertenor, choirboys, psaltery, axabeba)

Performers:
Musica Antigua
Paula Vega (soprano), Clara Serrano (soprano), Luis Vicent (countertenor, psaltery, cittern), Cesar Carazo (tenor, viola da braccio), Choirboys from the Monastery of the Valle de los Caídos, Wasfir Sheik (oud, darbuga, zarb), Jaime Muñoz (axabeba, kaval, shawm, percussion), Enrique Almendros (flutes, bagpipes, fistula, fujara, bells, percussion), Luis Paniagua (viola, drum, cantara), Luis Delgado (lute, andalusí lute, hurdy-gurdy, zither, santur, trumpet marine, fujara, zarb, bendir, percussion, cantara), Eduardo Paniagua (trumpet marine, añafil, psaltery, fahl, recorders, darbuga, tabila, drum, tar, bells)
Eduardo Paniagua, dir,

Playing time: 150'

Recording date: September 1995 (Chapel of the Concialar Seminary, Madrid)
Rel.: 1996 (Sony), 2005 (Pneuma)

Excerpts:
[1]-[2], [5], [7]-[12], [14], [16] Sony Classical "Hispánica" S2K 60580 [CDx2] Obras Maestras de las Cantigas - Masterpieces of the Cantigas: Alfonso el Sabio 1221-1284
[3], [5]-[6], [8], [14], [19]-[21] Pneuma PN-720 [CD] Llena de Gracia
[9]-[10] Pneuma PN-600 [CD] Lo mejor de las Cantigas - The best of the Cantigas of Holy Mary. Pneuma Colección: Cantigas de Alfonso X el Sabio, 1221-1284

The Cantigas were compiled under the direction of Alfonso X "El Sabio" (1221-1284), and are easily one of the most imposing Spanish medieval sources. Apparently many were even written by Alfonso, and date between 1270 and 1282. As repertory, these songs are analogous to troubadour songs in many ways. In fact, in some cases they share the same melodies. The analogy is made explicit in the forward to the collection. Whereas troubadour songs are intended to glorify human love, these cantigas are intended to glorify divine love and Alfonso is to be seen as the troubadour & lover of the Virgin Mary. Beyond this sophisticated literary framework, other folk music devices are employed from the wide range of cultural influences on medieval Spain.

Some "best of" collections from the present series:

Obras Maestras de las Cantigas
Alfonso el Sabio, 1221-1284
Música Antigua - Eduardo Paniagua
Sony "Hispánica" 60580 (2 CDs)
Lo mejor de las Cantigas
Eduardo Paniagua et al.
Pneuma 600
Rosa de las rosas
Musica Antigua - Eduardo Paniagua
Pneuma 700

The present ensemble adopts more of an Arab-Andalucian approach than many, and ends up with a surprisingly sophisticated texture. Other major recordings of the Cantigas & closely related material:

Alfonso X El Sabio: Cantigas de Santa Maria
Strela do dia
La Capella Reial de Catalunya / Hespèrion XX - Jordi Savall
Astrée 8508
Troubadours / Cantigas de Santa Maria
Clemencic Consort - René Clemencic
Harmonia Mundi 2901524/7 (4 CDs)
Vox Iberica III: El Sabio - Songs for King Alfonso X
Sequentia
Deutsche Harmonia Mundi 77173
Alphonse X El Sabio
Cantigas de Santa Maria
Micrologus
Opus 111 30-225
Cantigas de Santa Maria
Alla Francesca
Opus 111 30-308
Cantigas of Santa Maria of Alfonso X El Sabio
Martin Best Medieval Ensemble
Nimbus 5081
Alfonso X El Sabio: Cantigas de Santa Maria
Ensemble Unicorn
Naxos 8.553133
Andalucia en la Cantigas de Santa Maria
Poder á Santa María
Sinfonye - Stevie Wishart
Almaviva 0105
Miracles
Thirteenth-century Spanish Songs in Praise of the Virgin Mary
Dufay Collective / Vivien Ellis
Chandos 9513
Cantigas de Santa Maria
Mittelalter-Ensemble der Schola Cantorum Basiliensis - Thomas Binkley
Deutsche Harmonia Mundi 77242

For a more comprehensive listing of recordings featuring one or more cantigas (as attributed to Alfonso X El Sabio) see the complete discography.

The present recording is part of what is intended to be a complete survey of all 400+ cantigas. The others are/will be:

Cantigas de Jerez
Eduardo Paniagua Ensemble
Sony "Hispánica" 60080
Cantigas - Remedios curativos
Eduardo Paniagua Ensemble
Sony "Hispánica" 62263
Cantigas de Toledo
Eduardo Paniagua Ensemble
Sony "Hispánica" 62264
Cantigas de Castilla y León
Eduardo Paniagua Ensemble
Sony "Hispánica" 62265
Cantigas de Sevilla
Eduardo Paniagua Ensemble
Sony "Hispánica" 62859 (2 CDs)
Cantigas - Caballeros
Eduardo Paniagua Ensemble
Sony "Hispánica" 63018
Cantigas of France
Eduardo Paniagua Ensemble
Sony "Hispánica" 60842
Cantigas of Italy
Eduardo Paniagua Ensemble
Sony "Hispánica" 60843
Cantigas de Castilla-La Mancha
Música Antigua - Eduardo Paniagua
Pneuma 210
Santa Maria del Puerto - I
Música Antigua - Eduardo Paniagua
Pneuma 220
Virgen de Atocha - Cantigas de Madrid
Música Antigua - Eduardo Paniagua
Pneuma 280
Bestiario - Cantigas de Animales
Música Antigua - Eduardo Paniagua, dir.
Pneuma 340
Cantigas de Flauta y Tamboril
Enrique Almendros / Música Antigua - Eduardo Paniagua
Pneuma 400
Cantigas de Extremadura
Música Antigua - Eduardo Paniagua
Pneuma 420
El Camino de Santiago en las Cantigas de Alfonso X el Sabio
Música Antigua - Eduardo Paniagua
Pneuma 680
Viola de Rueda
Cantigas for Hurdy-Gurdy by King Alfonso X "El Sabio"
Jota Martínez / Musica Antigua - Eduardo Paniagua
Pneuma 740
Cantigas de Mujeres
Eduardo Paniagua, Samira Kadiri, Cesar Carazo
Pnuema 1230
Cantigas de Nuestro Señor
Eduardo Paniagua, et al.
Pneuma 1280
Piratas y Corsarios: Ladrones del Mar
Eduardo Paniagua, et al.
Pneuma 1370

Note that the series returned to the Pneuma label, where it began, after a detour on Sony.

Some recordings devoted to related repertory by Eduardo Paniagua:

Música Andalusí
Nuba Al-Istihlál
Ibn Báya Ensemble - Omar Metioui & Eduardo Paniagua
Sony "Hispánica" 62262
Danzas medievales españolas
Eduardo Paniagua Group
MA Records 034
Ecos del Espiritu
Melodias gregorianas
Eduardo Paniagua, Luis Fernando Vílchez, Luis Delgado
Pneuma 060
El cantar de la Conquista de Almería
Poema épico románico y trovadores de Alfonso VII el Imperador, 1147
Música Antigua - Eduardo Paniagua
Pneuma 450
La Conquista de Granada - Isabel la Católica
Las Cortes europeas, los Cancioneros y Música Andalusí Nazari
Música Antigua - Eduardo Paniagua
Pneuma 660
Música cortesana en la Europa de Juana I de Castilla 1479-1555
Musica Antigua - Eduardo Paniagua
Pneuma 710
L'Amore mi fa sollazar
Concierto de música renacentista para instrumentos diseñados por Leonardo da Vinci
Música Antigua - Eduardo Paniagua
Pneuma 1320
Músicas del Alcázar
Eduardo Paniagua, et al.
Pneuma 1400

See in particular the first recording, for Eduardo Paniagua's extensive contributions to Arabo-Andalucian music.

To purchasing information for this disc.

To FAQ references to this recording.

To FAQ CD index page.

Todd M. McComb