Francisco Javier García Fajer. Oficio de Difuntos

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Francisco Javier García Fajer: Office of the Dead | LAU008

This is the world's first recording of the 'Office of the Dead' by 'Españoleto', a composer who played a key role in the development of Spanish music in the early 19th century. His work was highly regarded and widely disseminated in Spain and Latin America. Francisco Javier García Fajer (1730–1809), also known as 'el Españoleto', was one of the most important figures in 18^(th)-century Spanish music. Born in La Rioja, he trained in Italy and served as chapelmaster at the Cathedral of Zaragoza for 53 years. While in Italy, García Fajer wrote at least two oratorios and four operas; however, his work in Spain was primarily religious. His music was widely disseminated, as evidenced by the copies preserved in several Spanish and American cities. It is precisely from the archives of Guadalupe in Mexico and Lima in Peru that La Grande Chapelle has recovered the Office of the Dead, consisting of two psalms and two readings from the first nocturnal matins. García Fajer's piece is scored for eight voices and is accompanied by violins, flutes, horns and a basso continuo. Characterised by melodic beauty, harmonic simplicity and formal clarity, it serves the liturgical texts for which it was conceived. The score has been contextualised by the inclusion of antiphons and Gregorian responsories extracted from a 1799–1800 medical record. Juan Carlos Asensio, who is also in charge of Schola Antiqua, carried out this work. The CD also features the sequence Dies Irae, which is attributed to the composer and is preserved in the church of Madonna dell'Alto in Enna, Sicily. This recording provides the first opportunity to experience the captivating funeral mass of one of the most renowned composers of the decades preceding the War of Independence. This piece of music demonstrates that Spain was not as isolated musically as some have claimed. The La Rioja-born composer fully assimilated the classical style while retaining the essence of the Spanish musical tradition, even incorporating late Baroque and Rococo elements. The album is part of the Poetic Music record collection of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).

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LAU008 | 5412690051586
November 2008
Digibox / 1 CD / 62:41

– Francisco J. Fajer. Oficio de difuntos. Geluisterd, Frits Ham, marzo de 2009 [PDF]

– Fajer. Oficio de difuntos. ABC Cultural, Alberto González Lapuente, 28/02/2009 [PDF]

– García Fajer. Oficio de difuntos. El Cultural, Arturo Reverter, 27,02/2009 [PDF]

– Una grabación necesaria. Francisco J. García Fajer: Oficio de difuntos. El Diario Montañés, Cultura, p. 68, Roberto Blanco, 07/02/2009 [PDF]

– FRANCISCO J. FAJER. Oficio de Difuntos. Docenotas, María Santacecilia, 01/02/2009

– García Fajer. Oficio de difuntos. Melómano, febrero de 2009 [PDF]

– GARCÍA FAJER. Oficio de difuntos. Revista Scherzo, nº 238, p. 84, Enrique Martínez Miura, febrero de 2009 [PDF]

– Un requiem resucitado. García Fajer. Oficio de difuntos. Diario Levante, A. Gascó, 30/01/2009 [PDF]

– GARCÍA FAJER. Oficio de difuntos. Classical Audio, Josemi Lorenzo Arribas, 21/01/2009 [PDF]

– Un réquiem español. Lauda publica el rescate de un ‘Oficio de Difuntos’ del compositor riojano Francisco Javier García Fajer. Diario de Sevilla, Pablo J. Vayón, 10/01/2009 [PDF]

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