AVECILLAS SONORAS

Avecillas Sonoras is a selection vocal works for two voices from the rich archives of the Latin American cathedrals. Most of them are villancicos dating from the early 18th century. The villancico is characterized by a combination of lively rhythms. This and other characteristics can be traced back to the development of Spanish baroque music. In the second half of the 17th century Spanish musicians began to compose in a different way by introducing the triple- time. Within a polyphonic and madrigal-like framework, it is precisely this rhythmic characteristic that brings out the richest, most virtuoso and varied qualities of this music. The best-known villancicos are those written for Christmas, with Gascons, gypsies, Africans, Galicians, or Indians as shepherds.

Adrián Rodriguez Van der Spoel: "Many of the villancicos have notations for only one voice left, and lack any accompaniment, so reconstructing them was essential for us. Apart from inventing new musical notes, reconstruction also meant maintaining a certain authenticity in the spirit of the performance. That is why we use historic instruments and follow the principles of the contemporary musicological writings. We also try to express this authenticity in the way we play: in the spirit of our traditional music, as it has been passed on to us by our parents."

Started by Adrián Rodríguez Van der Spoel in 2001, Música Temprana specializes in the interpretation of Latin American Baroque music. So far, the ensemble has given concerts in the Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, France, Sweden, and Bolivia. The members of Música Temprana are professional musicians, acquainted with the performance practices of the traditional music of their countries of origin (Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Brazil, and Spain). The ensemble deliberately conveys the popular, traditional characteristics of the repertoire they play. Many musicians with whom Música Temprana works stand in this tradition and have been partly formed by it. Therefore they are not censorious of their musical instincts. Xenia Meijer from The Netherlands, and Marisú Pavón from Argentina are specialists in Spanish and Latin America.