Jordi Savall
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Jordi Savall i Bernadet (born 1941, in Igualada, Catalonia) is a Spanish viol player and composer. He has been one of the major figures in the field of early music since the 1970s, largely responsible for bringing the viol (viola da gamba) back to life on the stage. His repertory ranges from Medieval to Renaissance and Baroque music.
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[edit] Musical education
Savall's musical training started at age 6 in the school choir of his native town (1947-55). He later completed his training at the Barcelona Conservatory of Music (1959-65). Afterward, he began his specialisation in early music collaborating with Ars Musicae and studying at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel, Switzerland (1968-70).
[edit] Ensembles
In 1974 he formed the ensemble Hespèrion XX (since 2000 as Hespèrion XXI), together with the soprano Montserrat Figueras (his wife), Lorenzo Alpert and Hopkinson Smith. Hespèrion XX favored a style of interpretation characterised by great musical vitality and at the same time, maximum historical accuracy.
In 1987 he returned to Barcelona to found La Capella Reial de Catalunya, a vocal ensemble devoted to the interpretation of music prior to the 18th century.
Finally, in 1989 Savall created Le Concert des Nations, an orchestra that is generally dedicated to the baroque repertoire, but which sometimes also serves as an outlet for music that hails from the classical/romantic repertoire (e.g. Sinfonia a Gran Orquesta by Juan Crisótomo de Arriga).
More recently, Savall has performed with his family. The Savall family ensemble contains Jordi's wife, Figueras, his most important colleague, and their two children Arianna and Ferran. Arianna Savall plays the harp and sings, like her mother. Ferran Savall plays the theorbo (bass lute) and sings (not only with his family but also in jazz clubs in Barcelona).[1]
Savall's discography includes more than 100 recordings. Since 1998 he has released his records with his own label, Alia Vox.
Jordi Savall was awarded the Doctor Honoris Causa degree by the Universitat de Barcelona on 27th November 2006.
[edit] Filmography
Jordi Savall is a two-time Grammy nominee, who scored the 1991 Alain Corneau film, Tous les matins du monde (also awarded the César of the French film industry in 1992). The soundtrack, re-released on his own Alia Vox label, has sold more than a million copies worldwide. Although Savall's best-known film score was for Tous les matins du monde, it was by no means his only. As a composer, Jordi Savall has written the soundtracks for the following films:
- (1991) Tous les matins du monde (All the Mornings of the World) by Alain Corneau
- (1993) El Pajaro de la feliciad (The Bird of Happiness) by Pilar Miró
- (1993) Jeanne la Pucelle I : Les batailles (Joan of Arc: The Battles) by Jacques Rivette
- (1994) Jeanne la Pucelle II : Les prisons (Joan of Arc: The Prisons) by Jacques Rivette
- (1997) Hosszu alkony (Long Dusk)
- (1997) Marquise by Vera Belmont
- (1998) Secret defense
