Folias y Glosas - Legacies of the Spanish Golden Age - CD

Folias y Glosas', the new recording project of the ensemble Concerto Scirocco, is a musical journey into the Spain of the late 16th/early 17th century, taking in a repertoire rich in colours, rhythm and influences that weaves together folk memory and sophisticated artistry. The title alludes to two key elements of early performance practice: the folias, an ostinato of folk origin with a cyclic structure, and the glosas, a term synonymous with ornament and embellishment. Alongside the names of great Iberian composers such as Antonio de Cabezon and Diego Ortiz and pieces from the Cancionero de Palacio, the programme also investigates the ramifications of Spanish influence in Europe, with music by Michael Praetorius, Bartolome de Selma y Salaverde, Andrea Falconieri and Johannes Ghiselin. The cultural links between Spain, Italy and the northern countries, which testify to the circulation of styles and ideas between the courts and cities of Baroque Europe, are here revealed in a refined, yet spirited, musical overview. With Folias y Glosas, Concerto Scirocco brings to listeners the richness of expression and variety of timbre of a repertoire that still sounds surprisingly modern.