This is La Rondinella’s third musical journey into the music of late-15th century Spain. To catch you up on history: as soon as the Moors were driven from Spain, in the same year that Queen Isabella funded Columbus’ journey of discovery to the Americas, the Sephardim, the Spanish Jews, were driven out of the country. This timing was ironic, for Columbus would return on a second voyage to the Americas and begin the extermination of its native tribes. At least the thousands and thousands of Jews that were forced out of Spain were not killed, and they preserved a gigantic heritage of folk music. The musicians of La Rondinella have made it a specialty to investigate this repertoire and interpret it for modern ears. In so doing they have drawn musical parallels with Spanish Renaissance music of the same time; in fact this set is divided into “Sephardic Songs” and “Spanish Renaissance” sections.
In his notes, Howard Bass, the ensemble’s virtuoso lutenist, points out similarities and differences. The songs are all about life, love, and spirit, though I detect more of a delicious earthiness in the Sephardic material, both in text and music. If you aren’t interested in the history, this CD can simply be enjoyed as a delightful collection of songs and instrumental pieces from circa 1492. They are performed impeccably by all concerned, but it is Alice Kosloski’s throaty yet focused alto that you remember. It’s reminiscent of the great Salli Terri, who sprang from Roger Wagner’s chorale to record the famous “Duets with Spanish Guitar” albums for Capitol back in the 1950s. As if Kosloski’s great voice alone is not enough, she employs it with great sensitivity, pays attention to the text, and really seems to feel the music in every pore of her being. Bass captures the Spanish flavor of this music in a way that others miss, and the rest of the ensemble provides radiant solo support. The recording, done at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Ellicott City, Maryland, is clarity itself, allowing the voices and instruments to emerge from a warm, slightly resonant sound field.
