Capella de Ministrers

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Capella de Ministrers is an early music group formed in 1987 in Valencia, Spain by its director, the Valencian musicologist Carles Magraner (viola da gamba).

The primary importance of the group is in the focus on restoring Valencian musical culture. Along with another Valencian early music group Victoria Musicae directed by Josep R. Gil-Tàrrega, the Capella de Ministrers receives significant local government support from the Valencian Community (la Generalitat Valenciana). Part of the group's mission is the recovery of Valencian musical heritage, from their first CD of 1989 - Música Barroca Valenciana.[1] This first release was particularly musicologically significant in unearthing unknown villancicos by a swathe of Valencian composers: Juan Cabanilles (1644–1712), Francisco Hernández Pla (d.1722), Joseph Pradas Gallén (1689–1757), Francisco Vicente Cervera (d.1749) and Pere Rabassa (1683–1767).[2]

The productions of the group follow the example of their neighbouring Catalan colleague Jordi Savall in providing historical context to musical performance and releasing books with CDs, as in the book Music and Poetry for Ausiàs March dedicated to the 15th Century Valencian poet. The books and booklets of the group feature essays in the Valencian language, though almost identical with Catalan language.

The Iberian composers promoted by Capella de Ministrers cover a span of 500 years from anonymous medieval pieces such as found in the Llibre Vermell de Montserrat, El Cant de la Sibil·la, El Misterio de Elche, etc., through baroque works such as the ensaladas of Joan Brudieu, to better known composers such as Vicente Martín y Soler. Soler's zarzuela La Madrileña (Madrid 1778) was revived by Magraner in 1996.[3] The group has also promoted a revival in public and academic interest in the Majorcan composer Antonio de Literes by performance of Los Elementos and other works.[4][5]

Discography

References

  1. ↑ EGT 526 CD. AVI 8025.
  2. ↑ José Luis Palacios Garoz El último villancico barroco valenciano p202
  3. ↑ L'Express 1997 Paris p128
  4. ↑ Antoni Pizà Antoni Literes: introducció a la seva obra p94
  5. ↑ World heritage review, Issues 42-47 Unesco, INCAFO. 2006

External links

Biography of Carles Magraner on Spanish Wikipedia

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