¡El Fuego!

The concert features works by the Flemish masters of Renaissance polyphony, such as Josquin de Prez, Nicolas Gombert, and Adrian Willaert intabulated by Spanish composers for the vihuela and voice, contrasted with the music of Mateo Flecha, who lived in Spain. The polyphonic pieces performed on 2 lutes, vihuela and voice are either original intabulations by Spanish and Flemish composers  or our own arrangements. Intabulations of chanson, masses, and fantasias by the lute and vihuela masters complete the program.  

In the 16th century, the region of modern-day Belgium and Netherlands was politically controlled by the Spanish Hapsburg and was known as the Spanish Netherlands (or Flanders). Religious tension arose due to severe Spanish counter-reformation measures in the Calvinist north, leading to the 80-years war. Simultaneously, the musical environment in Spain continued to thrive with the heritage of the polyphony of the Flemish masters of the past. Due to the Spanish presence in Flanders, Flemish music was arranged, performed and published in the Iberian Peninsula. 

In this time, just as in the modern day, music, particularly music with religious themes, was not immune to being used as a propagandist tool. Mateo Flecha’s piece “El Fuego '' is in the style of the ensalada (literally salad i.e. mixture of different styles, with mix of latin and vernacular languages, and frequent change of tempo and character). The text encourages sinners to repent from their ways. The general style of Flecha’s ensaladas is said to have developed from earlier spanish Villancicos, rich in word painting and strong pathos, and has been thought by some musicologists to contain politically motivated religious text of counter-reformation. This may or may not have been the case; religious music can always be used for ulterior political motives, even if the original intention may have been purely for worship and devotion. Ensaladas were published in France as Battaille. A strong stylistic tie can be seen between the two. 

This program showcases a wide range of timbre and emotional expressions of the time: joyful melodies, harsh and percussive war music, and delicate counterpoint featuring two lutes and a voice. These diverse styles are particularly evident in Flecha's 'ensaladas,' from which comes the program's title, 'El fuego' (The Fire).