Celebremos El Nino

Product Description Early Mexican music resounds in this joyful program featuring over two centuries of festive Christmas dances and villancicos from the great cathedrals of Puebla and Mexico City. Accompanied by lively percussion, viola da gamba and vihuela da mano, solos and choruses burst forth in this holiday recording that s anything but typical! Review The vocal group the Rose Ensemble, along with a few guest instrumentalists, has produced a terrifically fun and lovely album of Christmas music from the Mexican Baroque. The nine composers represented were mostly active in the 17th century, but there is one from the 16th; some were born in Spain, but all had careers in Mexico. Some of the pieces are virtually indistinguishable from European works from the same period, and some are distinctively flavored with the character of New World dances like xácara, guaracha, and negrilla. The amalgamation of these indigenous musical forms with the traditional Spanish (and officially sanctioned) villancico was of concern to church authorities, who considered them "excessively arousing," but they had to admit that the music was an important incentive for getting parishioners to attend services. The music is immensely appealing, and much of it is tinged with enough exoticism to make the listener sit up and wonder at its gorgeous eccentricity. Juan García de Zéspedes' guaracha, Convidando estála noche, for five voices and percussion, which opens the album, is an ideal exemplar: a catchy, quirky song that's immediately engaging and is practically guaranteed to set feet tapping and lips smiling. Sebastián Durón's Al dormir el sol for women's voices and Antonio Salazar's Tarara Tarara qui yo son Anton for men's voices, both with continuo accompaniment, have a Monteverdian grace and inventiveness. The Rose Ensemble sings with sweetness, warmth, impeccable intonation, and a beautiful blend, with a surprisingly rich resonance for a group of only 12 members. The performances are unmannered and natural, which is especially appropriate to music with roots in the popular culture of its time. The sound is clean and full with good presence. Highly recommended for fans of early Baroque vocal music or of Christmas music that is entirely different from the standard fare. --AllMusic Most of the pieces on this program are 17th Century Mexican villancicos: vernacular devotional songs that sometimes incorporate the idioms of popular and dance music of their time and place. These go beyond Spanish influence to include the dances and songs of the African slaves in the colonies. They are presented in spirited and polished performances by the Rose Ensemble, a choir of 12 voices founded and directed by Jordan Sramek and based in St Paul, Minnesota. This is the sixth recording released on their own label. The principle composers represneted here held important positions in the Mexican cathedrals. Juan Gutierrez de Padilla (c1590-1664) was born in Spain but came to Mexico in 1622 where he eventually became the director of music at Puebla Cathedral, one of the most important churches in the colony. Juan Garcia de Zespedes (c1619-78) was a boy chorister under Padilla at Puebla and later succeeded him as maestro di capella. Antonio de Salazar (c1650-1715) served as maestro at Puebla before assuming the equivalent position at Mexico City Cathedral. The earliest music here is by Francisco Guerrero (1528-99), a composer who never set foot in Mexico, but his liturgical music was sung in the New World. He is represented here by a lively Christmas madrigal with a Spanish text. This is not the place for an elaborate description of individual pieces, but the range of styles is considerable. There are graceful chorale-like songs for unaccompanied choir. The dance-based works, and especially the African-influenced songs, are accompanied with vibrant percussion. Some of the songs alternate solo voices or duets with fully choral refrains. Continuo is viola da gamba and vihuela. Both texts and music may seem exotic to listeners mainly accustomed to the Christmas music of northern Europe or the cultivated idioms of Renaissance polyphony and the baroque sacred concerto. For example, one of the African-influenced negrillas includes (in translation): And thus with my rattle, my bells, and my tambourine, I shall go to Bethlehem to dance the Puerto Rico and the Cameroun. I can hardly resist mentioning Al Dormir el Sol , a gently flowing lullaby to the Christ Child for women s voices with continuo by Sebastian Duron (1660-1716), and Un Ciego que Contrabajo by Salazar, about a blind street singer with a deep bass voice who sings of the Nativity and the Passion of Christ. The program concludes with its one piece of Latin liturgical music: Padilla s double choir setting of Deus in Adiutorium , the versicle and response that opens choral Vespers. These are spirited and infectious performances of a high technical standard. The more lively and rhythmic the music, the
ASIN: B000CC3PJE
VSKU: DBV.B000CC3PJE.G
Condition: Good
Author/Artist:ROSE ENSEMBLE
Binding: Audio cd
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Condition Notes: Individually inspected: Guaranteed to play perfectly or your money back. Case may show wear and may be in library packaging. Ships Fast!