Dorian Sono Luminus
DSL-90708
BRIO
THE MUSIC
This unique collaboration of some of early music's most esteemed artists performing with period instruments and featuring the beautiful singing of the young Brazilian countertenor, José Lemos, truly showcases the exquisite melodies and exciting dance pieces that define the Sephardic culture of early Spain. Brio's colorful array of instruments includes rebec and viols played by Mary Anne Ballard and recorders, krummhorn, gemshorn, and Renaissance and Baroque guitars played by Steve Rosenberg. Danny Mallon, rounds out the quartet with a smorgasbord of Mediterranean hand drums, tambourines, wood block, castanets, and other exotic idiophones. Brio is joined for this program by Larry Lipkis who plays gemshorn, recorder and viols.
These songs traveled with the dispersed Jewish community throughout the Mediterranean basin in the 15th century and with each new destination their music incorporated aspects from the music of their new locale and culture.
This collection of songs incorporates instruments from the renaissance and baroque periods as well as from the early eastern traditions. Historically, when women sang these works, it was without accompaniment while performing household tasks. Over time, various instruments were added, especially for special occasions, and as a performer, the task of choosing the accompanying instruments for each song is an art form in itself, and perhaps one of the most exciting parts of the musical process. One can hear the Turkish and Middle Eastern influences in some songs, while other compositions take on more of an Iberian inflection.
The breadth of these musical choices allows performers to make these works their own. Just as the Sephardim found a home wherever they traveled, this music has much of the same capacity for finding a home with the performers and listeners who come across this engaging repertoire.
THE PERFORMERS
José Lemos, counter tenor, launched his career by winning both First Prize and the Audience Prize in the 2003 International Baroque Singing Competition at Chimay, Belgium. He has appeared in multiple opera roles and in concert with companies such as Boston Baroque, Boston Cecilia, the Harvard Early Music Society, The Tanglewood Music Festival. In addition to opera, José sings Renaissance music on tour and in recordings with the Baltimore Consort. He first came to the USA in 1997 on a scholarship to study at the College of Charleston, where he received his undergraduate degree in Music History in 2001.
Steve Rosenberg, recorders, renaissance and Baroque guitars, “Pied Piper of the recorder world,” has toured five continents as a recorder soloist and as a member of the French ensemble, Les Menestriers, as well as for the Comédie Française. Now a Professor and Chair of the Music Department at the College of Charleston, he directs the Piccolo Spoleto Early Music Festival as well as the Charleston Pro Musica. Steve founded Brio in 2002, as an outgrowth of his work with Pro Musica. In addition to the Spanish and Sephardic music, he has programmed concerts of French and English early and traditional music for the ensemble. Currently performing in the US and abroad in recital, he is a frequent guest artist with the Baltimore Consort
Mary Anne Ballard, treble, tenor, and bass viola da gamba, and rebec, is a member of the Baltimore Consort, with whom she has recorded 14 CDs, and toured throughout the world. A regular with the Oberlin Consort of Viols, the baroque ensembles Galileo's Daughters and Fleur de lys, she has also appeared with such groups as the Bethlehem Bach Festival, the Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra, the Smithsonian Chamber Players, and the Philadelphia Classical Symphony. Formerly, Ms. Ballard directed and coached early music at the Peabody Conservatory, Princeton University, and the University of Pennsylvania, where she founded the Collegium Musicum, and performed her editions of several medieval music-dramas including the Play of Daniel. Her degrees in musicology are from Wellesley College (B.A.) and the University of Pennsylvania (M.A.). She is currently on the faculty of Oberlin's summer Baroque Performance Institute.
Percussionist extraordinaire, Danny Mallon, castanets, daybook, riq (arabic tambourine), frame drums, shakers, wood block, agogo bells, has recorded for TV, radio, and film scores, and played all styles of popular music. His early music playing has included recordings with Chatham Baroque, Piffaro, the Baltimore Consort, and Ronn McFarlane's Indigo Road project, and guest appearances with Jordi Savall's “Le Concert Des Nations”, Ensemble Galilei, Rebel, Apollo's Fire, The NY Collegium, Artek, AmorArtis Chorus and Baroque Orchestra, Paula Robison and Ken Cooper at the Met, as well as many festival engagements. Danny holds a MM in classical orchestral percussion from the Mannes College of Music in NYC, where he has been a faculty member since 1991. He is planning a solo CD of his popular recital, “Drums Through the Ages,” in which he performs on a wide array of percussion instruments.
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1. La serena 3:33 2. Ya Me Cansí 2:18 3. El mi quierdo bevió vino 2:31 4. Quien es aquello 1:55 5. Debka 1:35 6. Noches, noches 2:30 7. Cuando el Rey Nimrod 3:30 8. Las estreyas 2:51 9. La Rosa 3:10 10. A la una 1:57 |
11. Las muchachas de servir 1:38 12. Adio querida 2:06 13. Esterica Sarfatí 2:13 14. Ah, el novio no quere dinero 2:18 15. Durme, durme 2:31 16. Los caminos de Sirkedji 2:44 17. Van y vienen 2:04 18. Nani, nani 2:31 19. Proque Ilorax 3:55 20. Una tarde de verano 2:05 Total Time 49:55 |
Dorian Recordings & Dorian Discovery
are distributed in Australia by Rockian Trading