Savall and Hespèrion XXI celebrate 50 years with effortless style

Jordi Savall & Hespèrion XXI
© The Wigmore Hall Trust

Hespèrion XXI

Jordi Savall (director, treble viol)

Christophe Coin (treble viol)

Anna Lachegyi (tenor viol)

Lixsania Fernández (tenor viol)

Xavier Díaz-Latorre (theorbo, guitar)

Filipa Meneses (bass viol)

Philippe Pierlot (bass viol)

David Mayoral (percussion)

7.30pm, Wednesday 18 December 2024

Wigmore Hall, London

★★★★★

Jordi Savall
© The Wigmore Hall Trust

Innocentio Alberti (c.1535-1615): Pavin of Albarti - Gallyard

Christopher Tye (c.1505-1572): In Nomine a5 'Crye' 

Robert Parsons (c.1535-1571): The song called trumpets a6 

Pierre Attaingnant (1494-1552): Pavane de la Guerre 

Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625): In Nomine a5 No. 1 (pub. c.1610) 

John Dowland (1563-1626): Semper Dowland semper dolens (pub. 1604) 

                                              The King of Denmark's Galliard (pub. 1605) 

Giovanni Maria Trabaci (c.1575-1647): Toccata di Durezze et Ligature 

Gioseffo Guami (1542-1611): Canzon a4 sopra 'La Battaglia' 

Clement Woodcock (c.1540-1590): Browning my dear 

Antony Holborne (1545-1602): Galliard No. 24 

John Ward (c.1589-1638): Fantasia No. 4 

Anon.: Pavane de la petite Guerre & Gaillarde 

           Bourrée d’Avignonez 

William Brade (1560-1630): Turkische Intrada 

Alfonso Ferrabosco (1543-1588): Four-note pavan 

William Brade: Galliard a6 

John Jenkins (1592-1678): The Bell Pavan 

Sebastián Aguilera de Heredia (1561-1627): Tiento de batalla 

Samuel Scheidt (1587-1654): Galliard Battaglia 

William Lawes (1602-1645): Paven from Consort Sett a5 in C 

Robert Johnson (c.1583-1633) & William Brade: The King's Morisco 

Henry Purcell (1659-1695): Fantasia upon one note in F Z745 (c.1680) 

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): Contrapunctus 9 from the Art of Fugue BWV1080 (by 1742, rev. 1745-9) 

Juan Bautista José Cabanilles (c.1644-1712): Obertura - Corrente Italiana 

Encores:

Anon.: Tonada del Chimo, from Codex Martínez Compañón

Anon.: Scottish Dance.

Jordi Savall & Hespèrion XXI
© Nick Boston

'Drums were used to great effect to announce and accompany the battle pieces, such as the rat-a-tat rhythms of Gioseffo Guami’s Canzon a4 sopra “La Battaglia”, with virtuosic ornamented lines from Savall at the top of the texture'. 

'Savall and friends delivered every gem with assured and effortless precision, letting slip an occasional sense of their enjoyment in their craft at the more boisterous moments'. 

'... the Oberture e Corrente Italian by Cabanilles... the drums announced the majestic opening, then there was a deft switch from theorbo to guitar for the livelier rhythms of the Corrente, with tambourine and cascading viol lines dancing to the very end'.

Jordi Savall
© Nick Boston

'Rocking theorbo rhythms and joyous dance energy from the players was topped with virtuosic riffing from Savall'.

'The velvet viol sounds, the spirited percussion, the subtle theorbo or strumming guitar, with occasional virtuosic bursts of ornamented energy proved that this music is their joy, and it was a privilege to witness it. Happy 50th birthday, Hespèrion XXI!'

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.