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NX 4295
Archivo de Guatemala: Music from the Guatemala City Cathedral Archive
Label Catalogue Number:
8.574295
8.574295
Running Time: 01:12:42
Release Date: April 2021
Originally recorded in 2020
Originally recorded in 2020
Genre:
Classical
Classical
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About
Spanish colonies in Central and South America emerged as wellsprings of cultural activity throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. The meeting of indigenous populations with Latin American cathedrals and courtly life resulted in styles bearing the imprint of folk music, even in sacred compositions. The sophisticated musical culture of Guatemala City Cathedral is represented in an archive of hundreds of works, several of which are recorded here. The guitars, harp, voices and percussion of acclaimed ensemble El Mundo bring to life the vibrant and at times hypnotic dance rhythms of Spain, Africa and the New World, creating a sound unique to this region, and one that still flourishes to this day.
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Reviews
“…This is a fine disc and should be acquired if one is to have a complete knowledge of global music in the 18th century.” Bertil van Boer
“…There is a great deal to recommend here… the performances capture the stylistic amalgam of colonial Guatamala with a natural authenticity that makes the interpretations very convincing. This is a welcome addition to the growing discography of music from colonial Latin America.” James V Maiello
“…This is joyful and appealing music, performed with the utmost expertise, musicality, and spirit. A superb disc.” Ken Meltzer
“… This is an absolutely revelatory release, massively varied both in scoring and in inspiration. Pure beauty from first to last.” Colin Clarke
Fanfare - January/February 2022
“… Much of the music on this recording is arranged for performance by Richard Savino, a pre-eminent authority on this repertory… the arrangements are a delight … The performances are all technically polished and highly animated…”
William J Gatens – American Record Guide – September/October 2021
“A wonderfully appealing blend of music from the Old World and the New… Reflecting the interest and expertise of the group’s director, Richard Savino, the continuo group focuses on plucked instruments such as guitar, theorbo and harp. Savino himself contributes some fine guitar solos, the quality of which is matched by the rest of the instrumental work on this wonderfully appealing program.” ****
Tony Way – Limelightmagazine.com.au – 4 August 2021
“… The four voices of El Mundo mostly capture the mood and atmosphere very convincingly, although I have heard this repertoire attract one’s attention even more strongly. As an ensemble, they are mostly dynamic and well balanced. I am less convinced by the solo work. There also is a string group and percussion. Very often, and very attractively, the accompaniment is supplemented by varied instruments, which make up an extended continuo section. It is guitar-based and includes a harp, a theorbo and a harpsichord. The whole has been shepherded and arranged by Richard Salvino whose work may well be known to many through his Grammy Award nomination and his outstanding Boccherini recordings. The instrumental work is of the highest quality, be it as an ensemble or in the solo sonatas. The recording is clear and immediate. The booklet comes with Salvino’s reasonably detailed essay, other good documentation and colour photos. If you are new to the repertoire, it is a good place to start your discoveries, especially at the budget price.”
Gary Higginson – MusicWeb-International.com – 26 May 2021
“… Under the direction of the passionate baroque musician Richard Savino, the ensemble has succeeded in bringing this baroque music from Latin America to life. The various folklorisms are expressed as well as artfully thought-out music, performed with a sense of atmosphere and playfulness, or rather, especially in the case of the female singers, with a great deal of enthusiasm. In the instrumental ensemble, the stylishly restrained use of local instruments such as guitar and castanets bring welcome splashes of tonal color.” ****
Norbert Tischer – Pizzicator.com.lu – 24 April 2021
“… The sequence is thoughtfully conceived and presented with a lightness of touch that makes it constantly engaging. Dance rhythms lift even the most serious sacred settings, and El Mundo’s quartet of singers, accompanied by three strings, percussion and a mostly strummed continuo group, balance the sacred and the profane perfectly.” ****
Andrew Clements – The Guardian – 22 April 2021
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