QvintaEssençia

The intimate connection between poetry and music in the Spanish Golden Age with a special focus on texts about love.

The performance includes poems by some of the most significant poets of that time such as Garcilaso de la Vega, Lope de Vega, Jorge de Montemayor and Joan Boscà. The musical pieces are from a variety of sources including important compilations like the Cancionero de Medinaceli and Recopilación de sonetos y villancicos a cuatro y a cinco voces by Juan Vázquez, among others such as the Calàbria and Casanatense song collections.

The sixteenth century was a period of splendour in both literature and music; a time when, despite the decisive Italian influence, Spanish poets and musicians maintained their own characteristics when writing, avoiding excessive affectation and sensuality and searching for seriousness and solemnity.

Hermosa Cathalina (Anònim) performed by Qvinta Essençia