Amoroso pensamiento · Loving thought
Spanish music of the Golden Age (17th century)
Under the title Amoroso pensamiento (a text by Miguel de Cervantes, one of the world's greatest writers), we present a very special selection of works by great musical personalities and texts by writers who contributed to the splendor of the Spanish Baroque. The Siglo de Oro is known as Spain's “Golden Age” because philosophy, art, music, and literature flourished between 1492 and 1681.
From the most important composers of this era, we have selected Juan Hidalgo (1614–1685), Juan Arañés (1580–1649), and José Marín (1618–1699). Most of these sung works belong to the “zarzuelas” (the Spanish homonym of Baroque opera). Zarzuelas were of great importance in 17th-century Spain: famous composers and writers came together to create these works. The term “zarzuela” (not “opera,” as in other European countries) can be traced back to the fact that the first performances took place in the Teatro del Palacio de la Zarzuela in Madrid for the Spanish court.
The texts were written by important writers of the time: Jorge de Montemayor (1520–1561), Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616), Félix Lope de Vega (1562–1635), Luis Vélez de Guevara (1579–1639), Pedro Calderón de la Barca (1600–1681), and Agustín de Salazar y Torres (1636–1675).
The three most brilliant musicians who composed for the baroque guitar were Gaspar Sanz (1640–1710), Francisco Guerau (1649–1722), and Santiago de Murcia (1673–1739), twelve exemplary pieces by whom are presented here.
Juan Hidalgo (1614–1685, Madrid)
Composer and courtier. He is considered one of the most important representatives of Spanish Baroque music. He was the first to compose zarzuelas at the courts of Felipe IV and Carlos II, helping Madrid achieve a status in the theater world that could rival Versailles or Vienna.
José Marín (1618–1699, Madrid)
Guitarist and singer. He led a turbulent life, was ordained a priest, was involved in thefts and murders, was convicted and banished for ten years. The talented composer wrote an important compendium of 51 Tonos Humanos for voice and guitar.
Juan Arañés (*1580, Barcelona · †1650, La Seu d'Urgell)
He was a chapel master in Rome, where he published two volumes of Tonos Humanos and Villancicos, inspired by the picaresque Italian villanelles and Spanish chaconas. After returning to Spain, he became chapel master in La Seu d'Urgell, where he composed a large number of religious works.
Santiago de Murcia (17th–18th century)
He is one of the leading figures of Spanish Baroque guitar, but very little biographical information about him is available. His first treatise, Sobre cómo tocar la guitarra [On How to Play the Guitar], was printed in Antwerp. He traveled through Italy, France, and Mexico, where he presumably died.
Gaspar Sanz (born 1640, Teruel; d. 1710, Madrid)
He studied at the University of Salamanca and spent a long time in Rome and Naples. He published an important work entitled Instrucciones de música sobre la guitarra española [Music Instructions for the Spanish Guitar], the third volume of which is devoted entirely to pasacalles para preludiar [prelude passacaglias]: It was customary to play these pieces to set the mood for the vocal pieces that followed. His works enjoyed great popularity because they particularly emphasized national roots.
Francisco Guerau (*1649, Palma de Mallorca · †1722, Madrid)
He was cantor of the Real Capilla for 10 years and then became a member of the Real Cámara. He published the work Poema Harmónico for guitar, which made him famous. It marks a turning point in the development of guitar music and is exceptional for its musical quality.
Isabel Álvarez
Programme
José Marín (1618–1699)
[01] Ojos, pues me desdeñáis for soprano and baroque guitar
Text: Jorge de Montemayor (1520–1561)
Santiago de Murcia (1673–1739)
[02] Fandango for baroque guitar
Juan Hidalgo (1614–1685)
[03] Peynándose estaba un olmo for soprano and baroque guitar
Text: Luis Vélez de Guevara (1579–1644)
(from the zarzuela “Los celos hacen estrellas”)
Gaspar Sanz (1640–1710)
[04] Folías for baroque guitar
Anonymous (17th century)
[05] Jácara: No hay que decir el primor for baroque guitar
Text: Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616)
Santiago de Murcia (1673–1739)
[06] Grabe for baroque guitar
Santiago de Murcia (1673–1739)
[07] Allegro for baroque guitar
Gaspar Sanz (1640–1710)
[08] Lantururú for baroque guitar
Juan Arañés (1580–1649)
[09] Un Sarao de la Chacona for soprano and baroque guitar
Text: Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616)
(from the novel “La ilustre fregona”)
Gaspar Sanz (1640–1710)
[10] Canarios for baroque guitar
Gaspar Sanz (1640–1710)
[11] Preludio o Capricho arpeado for baroque guitar
Juan Hidalgo (1614–1685)
[12] ¡Ay, amor! for soprano and baroque guitar
Text: Pedro Calderón de la Barca (1600–1681)
(from the zarzuela “Contra el amor, desengaño”)
Santiago de Murcia (1673–1739)
[13] Canarios for baroque guitar
Juan Hidalgo (1614–1685)
[14] Ay, que me río de Amor for soprano and baroque guitar
Text: Agustín de Salazar y Torres (1636–1675)
(from the zarzuela “Los juegos olímpicos”)
Gaspar Sanz (1640–1710)
[15] Pavana por la D, Al Ayre Español for baroque guitar
Anonymous (16th century)
[16] Amoroso pensamiento for soprano and baroque guitar
Text: Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616)
(from the novel “La Galatea”)
Gaspar Sanz (1640–1710)
[17] Españoletas for baroque guitar
Juan Hidalgo (1614–1685)
[18] ¿Quién es Amor? for soprano and baroque guitar
Text: Félix Lope de Vega (1562–1635)
Francisco Guerau (1649–1722)
[19] Marionas for baroque guitar
Juan Hidalgo (1614–1685)
[20] Trompicábalas Amor for soprano and baroque guitar
Text: Luis Vélez de Guevara (1579–1644)
(from the zarzuela “Los celos hacen estrellas”)
Juan Hidalgo (1614–1685)
[21] Esperar, sentir, morir for soprano and baroque guitar
Text: Melchor Fernández de León (ca. 1676–?)
(from the zarzuela “Ícaro y Dédalo”)
Gaspar Sanz (1640–1710)
[22] Pasacalle y Jácaras for soprano and baroque guitar
Total playing time: 55:49
Isabel Álvarez, soprano
Carlos Oramas, Baroque guitar
Biographies
After studying singing and acting at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen, Isabel Álvarez specialized in baroque, classical, and contemporary opera, with roles such as Acis and Galatea by Antonio de Literes; Lo frate 'nnamurato, La Serva Padrona, and Flaminio by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi; Il Trionfo del'onore by Alessandro Scarlatti (Doralice); Die Zauberflöte by W. A. Mozart (Pamina); Orfeo ed Euridice by Johann Joseph Fux (Euridice); Ulisse in Campania (Anonymous, 18th century); La Púrpura de la Rosa by Tomás de Torrejón y Velasco (Venus & Amor); Iziar by M. de Oñate; Zapatos de Mujer by Ángel Illarramendi (world premiere); L’impresario delle Canarie by Giovanni Battista Martini (Spanish premiere); La Didone by Francesco Cavalli, etc.
Isabel Álvarez has performed in numerous theaters, including the Teatro del Baraccano (Bologna), Teatro Vittorio Emmanuele (Messina), Teatro Arriaga (Bilbao), the Bordeaux Opera, Teatro Malibran (Venice), Teatro Stabile (Turin), and Teatro alla Scala (Milan). She has sung oratorios, Baroque music, and recitals at international festivals (including in Granada, the Canary Islands, Guanajuato, Budapest, Antwerp, Liège, San Sebastián, Paris, Santander, and Utrecht) as well as in famous concert halls and auditoriums, such as the Auditorio Nacional de Música (Madrid), Auditorio de Zaragoza, Auditorio Alfredo Kraus (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria), Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Châtelet de Paris, Wiener Konzerthaus, Auditori de Barcelona, Schloss Eggenberg (Graz), Steinway Hall and Metropolitan Museum (New York), Pushkin
Museum (Moscow) and Teatro Real in Madrid.
She has worked with conductors such as Jordi Savall, Pierre Dervaux, José Rada, José Ramón Encinar, Michel Plasson, Gabriel Garrido, Carmelo A. Bernaola, Juanjo Mena, Fabio Bonizzoni, Emilio Moreno, Eduardo López Banzo, and Fabio Biondi, and has performed with the most renowned
ensembles for early music, including Hespèrion XX, La Capella Reial de Catalunya, Al Ayre Español, Axivil, Capilla Peñaflorida, El Concierto Español, Accentus Austria, La Colombina, Sour Cream, and La Europa Galante.
With her ensemble MAGIOS, she has produced and staged original performances such as El Carnaval del Conde (for the Count of Peñaflorida) and Don Juan, ay Ausencia with texts by Molière and music from the Golden Age of Spain, which premiered at the Bolzano Festival (Bolzano, Italy).
Isabel Álvarez has recorded more than 30 CDs for the labels EMI, Astrée, Philips, Fidelio-Holland, Elkar, NB-Records, Glossa, and K 617, as well as for RNE, Radio France, ETB, and TVE.
She is a professor of voice at the Conservatory of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
Carlos Oramas studied at the conservatories of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Madrid, and Luxembourg, as well as at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg (Austria), under professors Olímpiades García, Joaquín Prats, Demetrio Ballesteros, Eliot Fisk, and José Miguel Moreno, among others. He has won prizes at the following competitions: Andrés Segovia (Santiago de Compostela, 1992), Concurso Juventudes Musicales de España (Girona, 1992), Villa de Laredo (Santander, 1992), Premio Extraordinario de Fin de Carrera (Madrid, 1991), Concurso Internacional Martín Codax (Málaga, 1990), Concurso Internacional de Guitarra Alhambra (Alcoy, 1990), Concurso Internacional de Guitarra de Comillas (Santander, 1989) and received the Réplica Prize for the poetic-musical show Todo el Cielo by Unahoramenos Producciones
(Canary Islands, 2020).
As a soloist, he has performed with the Luxembourg Conservatory Symphony Orchestra and the Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria, as well as at various festivals, including the Festival de Música de Canarias, Festival Rio Loco (Toulouse), Volos International Guitar Festival (Greece), WOMEX (Copenhagen), Festival de Música Antigua de Sajazarra (La Rioja), Festival de Música Antigua de Aranjuez, Festival Antiqua (Bolzano Festival Bozen), Festival de Música Antigua de Daroca, Festival Musica-Musika (Bilbao), and Festival Universo Barroco (Madrid).
He has performed in Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Greece, France, Germany, Portugal, Luxembourg, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, and Spain, and has played in major concert halls, including Cologne Philharmonic Hall, Tonhalle Zurich, Liederhalle Stuttgart, Victoria Hall (Geneva), Großes Festspielhaus (Salzburg), Gulbenkian (Lisbon), Casa da Música (Porto), Tonhalle Düsseldorf, Teatro El Galpón (Montevideo), and Auditorio Alfredo Kraus (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria).
He has made recordings for the labels Warner Music, Opera 3 (Madrid), ASV (London), Oasis (Madrid), and Multitrack (Tenerife) and has performed with ensembles such as Camerata Iberia, Al Ayre Español, Bozen Baroque Orchestra, Harmonia del Parnàs, Os Músicos do Tejo, Galdós Ensemble, El Afecto Ilustrado, Orquesta Barroca de Tenerife, Ensemble Allettamento, Orquesta Barroca Casa da Música, as well as with musicians Paolo Pandolfo, Claudio Astronio, Eduardo López Banzo, Emma Kirby, Carlos Mena, Iván Martín, Isabel Álvarez, Jacques Ogg, Juan Carlos de Mulder, and Adrián Linare.
Carlos Oramas currently teaches Renaissance and Baroque plucked instruments at the Conservatorio Superior de Música de Canarias.
