Sunday blogging: Savall in concert

Two weeks ago I was posting about my passion for Early Music. Later on I hotlinked a picture of John Hurt as Caligula (yes, I should know better by now) and the webmaster courteously complained. After apologizing and promising to make ammends, I visited the website.

Imagine my delight when I found out that he had attended a Hesperion XXI concert. Here's his review:

I was gratified to note that Gaspar Sanz's Canarios and Jacaras - favorites of mine from Hesperion recordings - were to be performed; but then I was somewhat dashed when I saw they had gotten the boot in the revised program. But Diego Ortiz's Canarios was substituted, so I was mollified. And I loved the performance of Captain Tobias Hume's A Souldier's Resolution, a battle piece from Hume's curious collection of music for the viola da gamba, Musical Humours. Here it is [please go to the website for link], in streaming Real Audio format, from Savall's album of pieces from Musical Humours. By the way, Sanz also wrote a stirring battle piece for guitar, Clarinas y Trompetas - one could come up with an entire program of battle music, what with William Byrd's The Battell. Savall returned to the stage after the concert, answering questions in the friendliest way, showing his instruments, including his priceless treble viola da gamba, circa 1500:

You must go to the website to look at the photos and listen to the audio. I can only wish I'd been there.

One note on my prior post: the old soundtrack CD of Tous Les Matins doesn't have the complete Savall rendition of the Spanish variations. The film does.

If you like Savall/Marais, you're also going to love this:


In other matters, Dr. Sanity has the carnival!


(technorati tags Jordi Savall Marin Marais viola da gamba Music)