Rollos de Pianola

PIANOLA: PORTRAIT OF A MUSICAL WONDER   Its ancestors For centuries; the ability to enjoy music without the effort of learning the associated necessary techniques has been a chief motivation for many inventors, inspiring them to create different forms of music mechanization. The treatise La Tonotechnie ou l'art de noter les cylinders, written in 1775 by the Augustinian monk Domingo Engranelle, shows evidence of this motivation. His work served as a theoretical fundament for several subsequent inventions, including the mechanical instruments that preceded the pianola. Several of t...+ info

Juan Manuel de la Puente

Al Ayre español

Conductor: Eduardo López Banzo

JUAN MANUEL DE LA PUENTE (1692-1753) CANTATAS Y VILLANCICOS   Two factors point to Juan Manuel de la Puente as one of the great choirmasters of Jaén Cathedral: his extensive musical work, largely preserved in the Cathedral itself and the interest shown him by musicologists such as Robert Stevenson who said of him "...a credit to the church of Jaén, may his memory live on to be elevated to the place of preference it deserves..." De la Puente was born in Tomelloso (Guadalajara) in 1692 and died in Jaén itself, in 1753. His early years were spent at his birthplace...+ info

La Muwassaha

Al Turath Ensemble

THE ANDALUSI WASLAH OF ALEPPO, SYRIA   WASLAH Awaslah is the performance of up to eight muwashshahát (plural of muwashshaha) in succession together with an instrumental introduction. Common to all sections of such a waslah cycle is the principle maqám row, whereby the combination of pieces can comprises the works of several poets and composers. The muwashshah composition played at the beginning of a cycle may have a longer longer wazn than the muwashsahát that follow. A total of 22 waslát (plural of waslah) are known in Aleppo, each of them named according...+ info