Jordi Savall takes us on perfect musical tour
EVERY Jordi Savall concert is a journey, and he makes 140 of them each year, crossing all boundaries – national, historical and demographic.
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EVERY Jordi Savall concert is a journey, and he makes 140 of them each year.
At 76 there is no sign of him slowing down. He records six albums annually on his record label with a variety of ensembles he has started — from the much beloved Hesperion XXI to full-blown Baroque and early music orchestras like Le Concert des Nations.
And the journeys he takes us on cross all boundaries, whether they are national, historical or demographic, as his fan base includes people of all ages and musical tastes.
When he plays his viols there’s the look of the tireless sage about him — perhaps a Dumbledore as portrayed by Goya — with his beard, glasses perched on the end of the nose and a fine head of greying hair. And he comes out before the concert starts to tune his instruments and he’s happy to chat to the punters.
This latest journey, following on from his fascinating Jerusalem project of 2014, took us from Old Spain to New Spain, or Latin America, especially Mexico, after the Conquistadors packed their harps and lutes along with their weapons.
IMPROVISED
Savall mixed a handful of his regulars from Hesperion (Catalonia) — harpist Andrew Lawrence-King, guitarist Xavier Diaz-Latorre, percussionist David Mayoral and Xavier Puertas on violone, a baroque fretted bass — with the highly acclaimed Mexican Tembembe Ensamble Continuo.
This six strong troupe of vocalists, multi-instrumentalists and dancers has had a longstanding collaboration with Savall and the evening followed a pattern of instrumental pieces, many of them improved around a ground bass, a sequence of chords or notes played on the lower strings, interspersed with songs and dances, including the early version of the famed fandango.
Some verses were banned under the Mexican inquisition
These secular songs, some of them composed but also traditional, were the New Spain element, some of them love songs, some little legends, and others rather raunchy taking delight in referring to “cuckolded priests”. In fact some verses were banned under the Mexican inquisition.
Singers Ada Coronel and Zenen Zeferino excelled in the question and answer songs and Donaji Esparza’s graceful but earthy dancing — her stamping an impressive percussion instrument of itself — added a passionate dimension to the performances.
The improvised instrumental highlights revolved around the folia — the ground bass dance-like form (the word means “insanity” or “wild amusement” in Portuguese) which became popular in Spain and Portugal in the 15th and 16th centuries, eventually finding its way into the Baroque canon of composers such as J.S. Bach, Arcangelo Corelli and Antonio Vivaldi.
The last set of the night, Follias Criollas, showed Savall at his virtuosic best as he led proceedings from his six-string treble viol, the bowing getting ever more rapid in an exciting tremolo effect while the other musicians improvised over the top.
DETAILS
● CONCERT: Jordi Savall
● WHERE: Sydney Opera House Concert Hall
● WHEN: Sunday, February 25