Glosses from the Golden Age

Suite Cortesana takes us on a musical journey through the Golden Age of Spain during the reign of the Habsburgs. Cultural exchange through the continuous travels of Emperor Charles V, accompanied by his musicians throughout Europe, and Philip II's passion for keyboard music made the Habsburg court one of the most advanced and refined on the international scene.

Composers such as the Dutch organist J. P. Sweelinck and his German pupil S. Scheidt dedicated some of their works to us, inspired by the glosas of the great masters of the keyboard such as A. Martín y Coll, F. C. de Arauxo, and A. de Cabezón—the latter being organist to the courts of Charles V and Philip II and a precursor of the Iberian keyboard music tradition. The liveliness and spontaneity of these glosses or variations written in the soprano or tenor voice lend themselves to being interpreted without a doubt on the sackbut and other wind instruments (ministriles), as recommended by A. de Cabezón in his Obras de música para tecla arpa y vihuela (Works of music for keyboard, harp, and vihuela). This compositional technique contrasts with the original and virtuoso variation of the Milanese F. Rognoni, based on existing polyphonic works, varying the different voices "a la bastarda," that is, jumping from one to another and describing richly ornamented melodic lines that push the technical possibilities of the performer to the limit.

Be inspired by these glosas from the golden age of the Habsburgs, performed on the sackbut and harpsichord with the utmost musical refinement!

Iberian Concert

Juan González Martínez – Sacabuche
Lea Suter – Clave