The double harp is a key instrument on this album, inextricably linked to Spanish Baroque music and symbolic of the 17th-century Hispanic soundworld.
Composition History
The Guerra Manuscript, housed in the Biblioteca Xeral at the University of Santiago de Compostela, is named after José Miguel de Guerra, a scribe at Madrid's Royal Chapel who copied all 100 songs.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Tonos are an inherently Hispanic vocal genre, unique to Spain, and are free from the influence of Baroque traditions from other European countries.
Historical Context
The Guerra Manuscript is considered the most important source for the 'tono humano', a secular song form that developed throughout 17th-century Spain and is characteristic of the Spanish Baroque.
Recording & Production
This album is the fifth and penultimate volume in a complete recording of the Guerra Manuscript, a collection of 100 secular Spanish songs.
Interpretation
The performers aimed for a wide interpretative spectrum while respecting historical performance practice, including keyboard instruments despite their less frequent use at the time for this repertoire.
Compositional Technique
While early 17th-century Spanish songs were mostly polyphonic, the second half of the century saw the rise of solo voice with continuo accompaniment, often by guitar and/or harp.
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