> José de Baquedano. Música en latín para la Catedral de Santiago

PRESENTATION

Latin Music for the Cathedral of Santiago

Situated on the very western edge of Europe, Santiago de Compostela has been a spiritual and artistic center since the Middle Ages. In the seventeenth century, its cathedral enjoyed a golden age that led to the transformation of its Romanesque structure into a Baroque landmark. There, a polychoral style was abundantly cultivated, giving both solemnity and grandeur to religious ceremonies. Among the maestros that served the Compostela cathedral, José de Baquedano stands out. A Navarran composer who perfected his artform with Matías Ruiz at the Royal Monastery of the Incarnation in Madrid, he left a notable vocal legacy in Spanish and Latin after three decades of practice. Therein, his pieces written for Holy Week are especially remarkable. This recording offers a novel anthology of Baquedano's Latin work, with a selection of motets, psalms and lamentations written for two and three choirs, revealing the magnificent talent of this composer from Finisterre.

Stemming from research developed by Albert Recasens at the Institute for Culture and Society (ICS) of the University of Navarra, the recording was released with the sponsorship of the Center for Hispanic Europe Studies.