Your Majesty: A Guitar Player in 16th-Century European Courts

Featuring

Guillem Pérez-Quer
Vincenzo Capirola
Luis de Milán
John Dowland
Anonymous
Alonso Mudarra

Anonymous (Traditional)
Luis de Narváez
Giovanni Maria da Crema
William Byrd
Francesco da Milano
Pietro Paolo Borrono
Joan Ambrosio Dalza

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Album & Artwork

The album title, 'Your Majesty', reflects the performer's feeling of exploring music that resonated in European royal courts of the 16th century.

Instruments

During the Renaissance, instrumental music evolved significantly, with instruments being perfected and diversified, allowing for greater expressiveness and virtuosity.

Performer Biography

Guillem Pérez-Quer, the guitarist on this album, is the Head of the Department of Guitar at the Superior Conservatory of Music of the Liceu in Barcelona.

Composer's Artistic Vision

The album aims to create a musical dialogue between great Renaissance composers for the lute and vihuela, an 'impossible encounter' in their time.

Recording & Production

This album was recorded in September 2023 at Onda Estudio in Barcelona, Spain, with Edgardo Vertanessian handling recording, editing, mixing, and mastering.

Interpretation

The performer believes the modern guitar, as an heir to the lute and vihuela tradition, offers a powerful emotionality that enhances the beauty of these Renaissance compositions.

Historical Context

The 16th century Renaissance saw a cultural and artistic explosion as the 'old world' reconnected with its Greco-Latin roots, giving rise to the ideal of the cultured and versatile Courtier.