Jordi Savall - Musician and humanist

A lifetime project
Back to one's origins Savall is a man of duty who has assigned himself the task of recreating the musics of the past, pulling them out of oblivion These works were composed and performed at a time when music had a social function more widespread than nowadays; either in the context of the various European courts or within the context of the many religious rituals, or still, within the context of popular or vernacular festivities of the times. Jordi Savall has always shown his preoccupation for the historical linkage of music, starting with the foundation of his first musical ensemble around 1975. Hespèrion XX is derived from the designation in ancient times of the two territories now known as Italy and Spain. Subsequently, Savall formed another ensemble in 1987 which was initially designated "La Capella Reial". Shortly after it was renamed "La Capella Reial de Catalunya" thus establishing a clear reference to his land of origin. Savall explains his will to link himself to one's origins in the following terms: "Catalunya is a very small province of Spain, its a small portion of the Iberian peninsula, a very small portion of what is called the Mediterranean world, from Morocco to Tunisia, from Italy and Spain, to the Middle East and within which a small nation like ours, is part of larger whole". And he adds: "I come from an area of the wortld where the Muslim, Iberian, Italian, German and Jewish cultures are intertwined, an area where all this is embedded in the "popular" way of perceiving the world". This means that "... we learn that we are together with other cultures. In this context, the history of music becomes the living history of mankind". This is a key concept for Savall while he is in fact quoting Elias Canetti. When being interviewd by Anne-Marie Dusseault (Radio-Canada, March 3, 2001), he expresses himself further on this theme: "Early music is, to a certain extent, the history of Humanity's belly..." "It is the most universal language, it is the language of man". For Savall, "the magic of early music (is linked) to the magic of things that have disappeared...",(it is) "... the memory of civilization". And "...a civilization which has no memory, is a civilization that has no future". Jordi Savall, Montserrat Figueras, his wife, and all the others that followed in their footsteps have embarked upon a search for their own roots, Catalunyan, Spanish, European. This explains why Hespèrion XX has been renamed Hespèrion XXI, thus showing clearly that these are musicians from our century who ar at work. The new name of the ensemble signifies a transition to a new stage "... which is both the proclamation of our roots and of our will to move onward. We are thus expressing our desire to remain "contemporary" and our conviction that music has as its vocation to be a universal language of peace and brotherhood". François Tousignant, Le Devoir

Eloquent testimonies
Early instruments
La lira d'Espéria - La vièle médiévale - The Medieval fiddle
"Musicas Reales" : Court music
Alia Vox 9814 Carlos V Mille Regretz: La Canción del Emperador (1459-1558)	Alia Vox 9816 Alfons V el Magnànim (1396-1453	El Cancionero de la Colombina (1451-1506) La musique au temps de Christophe Colomb / Music in the times of Christopher Columbus	El Cancionero de Medinaceli (1535-1595) La musique au temps de Philippe II / Music in the times of Philip II


El Cancionero de Palacio (1474-1516) La musique à la cour des rois catholiques d'Espagne / Music at the court of the Catholic kings of Spain	El Cançoner del Duc de Calabria (1526-1554) La musique à la cour valencienne du duc de Calabre / Music at the Court of the Duke of Calabria in Valencia	Viva Rey Ferrando Renaissance music from the Neapolitan Court, 1442-1556

"Raices & Memoria" : Roots and memories from secular sources
Alia Vox 9809 Diáspora Sefardí	Secular Music from Christian and Jewish Spain / Musique profane de l'Espagne chrétienne et juive	Cançons de la Catalunya mil-lenària Plaintes et légendes / Laments and Legends	Chansons des Trobairitz, vers 1200 / Songs of the Trobairitz, about 1200


Vilancicos y Danzas Criollas "De la Iberia antigua al nuevo mundo" - (1550-1570)	Folias et Canarios	Ninna Nanna / Berceuses - Lullabies (ca. 1500-2002)	Del Enzina, Juan (1468-1529) Romances et villancicos (Salamanca 1496)

"Raices & Memoria" : Roots and memories from religious sources
Cantigas de Santa Maria	El Cant de la Sibil-la I Catalunya	El Canto de la Sibila II Galicia - Castilla	El Cant de la Sibil-la Malorca - Valencia


Llibre Vermell de Montserrat Un pélérinage du XIVe siècle /A fourteenth-century pilgrimage	Cererols, Joan Messe pour les défunts (Missa pro defunctis / Missa da Batalla)	Guerrero, Francisco Sacrae cantiones (1555, 1570)	Morales, Cristóbal de Officium Defunctorum / Missa Pro Defunctis

Victoria, Tómas Luis de Cantica Beatae Virginis

Cliquez l'un ou l'autre thème ci-dessous pour continuer en français. Savall - le violiste 2) Savall - le chef 3) Savall - l'entrepreneur 4) Savall - l'humaniste 5) Savall - pédagogue et chef de file		Click either theme below to continue with the English version. Jordi Savall under 5 themes: 1) Savall - as violist 2) Savall - as conductor 3) Savall - as entrepreneur 4) Savall - as a humanist 5) Savall - as a pedagogue and figurehead