Bulgaria, Portugal, and the New World

Program: #14-39   Air Date: Sep 22, 2014

I. Divna: In Search of Divine Light (Divna Ljubojević/The Melodists). Valley Entertainment CD 2-VLT-15248.

Divna Ljubojević began her musical career as a student at the Mokranjac Choral Society. She joined Serbia’s oldest choir, the First Belgrade Singing Society, where she became the youngest conductor in the group’s history - which dates back to 1853. In 1991 Divna founded the spiritual choir and studio Melodi. She has since performed over 600 concerts in Europe, Asia and North Africa - leaving both audiences and critics breathless. She has released 18 albums on the Milan Records and Jade Music labels - distributed worldwide by Warner Music. The celebrated cantor, who had performed and recorded with Lykourgos Angelopoulos, is considered one of the leading interpreters and performers of the liturgical traditions and Byzantine chant. In Search of Divine Light features a collection of sacred chants from the Byzantine, Russian, Serbian and Bulgarian traditions including works from composers like Nikolay Kedrov, Pavel Chesnokov and Alexander Kastalsky. Divna recorded the album with her ensemble, the Melodists, at the Vavedenje Monastery in Belgrade.

The Day Of Resurrection (Anastaseos Hemera) : Byzantine chant

In the Flesh Thou Didst Fall Asleep (The Exapostilarion of Pasha) : Serbian chant

Today Salvation Has Come to the World : Divna Ljubojević

All of You Who Were Baptized into Christ : Byzantine chant

Cherubic Hymn : Dagomys chant

Blessed is the Man (Blazhen Muzh) : Nikolay Kedrov

To Thee, The Victorious Leader (Vzbrannoy Voyevode) : Pavel Chesnokov

Come and Let Us Bless Joseph of Everlasting Memory : Pavel Chesnokov

In the Red Sea : Alexander Kastalsky

Let God Arise (The Paschal Stichera) : Byzantine chant

Your Resurrection, Christ the Saviour : Divna Ljubojević

Have Mercy on Me O God : Divna Ljubojević

Cherubic Hymn - Bulgarian

He Was to Me Helper and Protector (The Song of Moses) : Russian chant

The Lord's Prayer : Nikolay Kedrov

II. Évora: Portuguese Baroque Villancicos (A Corte Musical/Rogério Gonçalves). PanClassics CD PC 10304.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the city of Évora was one of the most important centres of Portuguese polyphony. The gothic Cathedral of Évora was the scene of the development of the so-called 'Portuguese School' which produced many important musicians who were also active in Spain and in the colonies of the New World. The Cathedral archive, housing numerous musical treasures, bears eloquent witness to this and Rogerio Gonçalves and A Corte Musical have now recorded a selection of sacred and secular villancicos from this source. The foundation on which the four singers present this rousing music is a colourful instrumental accompaniment consisting of Spanish harp and Spanish guitar, strings and percussion, amongst other instruments.
The villancico was originally a polyphonic Spanish song with a secular subject; it was soon incorporated into the Christian liturgy and frequently used at high holidays and other religious festive days. In the archive of Évora, there are villancicos with Spanish as well as Portuguese texts, which is a rarity. Here, we are well able to observe the cultural variety, individuality and expressiveness of (early) baroque Portuguese music in the alternation between vocal and instrumental music, and in the contrast between secular and sacred works.

Rogério GONCALVES: Ponteio barroco (instrumental)

Pedro Vaz REGO (1673-1736): Amante Deus (Vilançete for the Feast of the Circumcision of Jesus)

ANON: A la villa voy (Villancico humano)

Manuel Botelho de OLIVEIRA (1636-1711): Ameaças o morrer

Frei Manuel dos SANTOS (1668-1737): Mas no ay que admirar (Villancico for the Blessed Sacrament)

GONCALVES: Lundú da corte (instrumental)

Frei Miguel da NATIVIDADE (c.1630-c.1690) : O que assombro (Vilançete for the Feast of Saint Lucia)

Antonio Marques LESBIO (1639-1709): Ya las sombras de la noche (Tono a 4 humano), Dime como he de portarme (Villancico for the Blessed Sacrament)

ANON: Eu e vós, meu doce emprego (Vilançete for the Feast of the Ascension), Pavana (Instrumental),
Sentada ao pé de hum rochedo (Vilançete for the Feast of the Ascension), Suspenda toda a armonia (Vilançete for the Feast of Saint Lucia)

III. Carmina Latina (Chamber Choir of Namur/Capella Mediterranea/Clematis/Leonardo García Alarcón). Ricercar CD RIC 334.

After the conquest of the Americas, Spanish and Portuguese clergymen and musicians brought their entire polyphonic tradition to these new lands. Some of these musicians settled in Latin America, with Juan de Araujo in Peru and Tomas de Torrejon y Velasco in Argentina. Others were born in the New World: Gaspar Fernandez was born in Mexico and remained there during his entire career. The extensive libraries of music of the great churches of Latin America also preserved a large number of manuscripts that often contained pieces that had completely disappeared from European collections. Although the above musicians introduced their polyphonic skills to the New World, they were also seduced by local popular traditions, going so far as to adapt texts used in Roman Catholic liturgy to the local native languages. Hanacpachap, recorded here, was the first sacred work in a native language to be published in Latin America. This developmental shift in the Iberian polyphonic tradition is demonstrated by the works on this CD, one of them being Cererols’ Missa de batalla: this was composed for three choirs and is one of the most important Spanish Masses from the beginning of the 17th century. This recording, an exploration of sacred and secular music in the New World during the first years of the Baroque period, was made at the conclusion of a successful concert tour that formed part of the Festival de Wallonie 2012..

1. GASPAR FERNANDEZ (c.1570-1629): A Belén me llego, tío, villancico

2. JUAN de ARAUJO (c.1648-1712): Vaya de gira

3. TOMAS de TORREJON y VELASCO (1644-1728): Rorro ("Desvelado dueño mio"), for vocal ensemble

4. TORREJON y VELASCO: A este sol peregrino

5. DIEGO JOSÉ de SALAZAR (??-1709): Salga el Torillo, for chorus & ensemble

6. ANON.: Hanacpachap cussicuinin (God, Joy of the Universe), hymn

7. ARAUJO: Dixit Dominus, for 11 voices

8. JOAN CEREROLS (1618-1676): Missa de Batalla for 12 voices & continuo

9. ARAUJO: Salve Regina

Composer Info

JOAN CEREROLS (1618-1676), DIEGO JOSÉ de SALAZAR (??-1709), TOMAS de TORREJON y VELASCO (1644-1728), JUAN de ARAUJO (c.1648-1712), GASPAR FERNANDEZ (c.1570-1629), Antonio Marques LESBIO (1639-1709), Frei Miguel da NATIVIDADE (c.1630-c.1690), Frei Manuel dos SANTOS (1668-1737), Rogerio Gonçalves, Manuel Botelho de OLIVEIRA (1636-1711), Pedro Vaz REGO (1673-1736),

CD Info

CD 2-VLT-15248, D PC 10304. CD RIC 334