14 September, 7 pm
Palace of the Grand Dukes, Katedros a. 4, Vilnius
Ego Rex
Music for the King. Cantigas de Santa Maria
Artefactum (Spain)
- César Carazo – voice, medieval viola
- Ignacio Gil – medieval wind instruments
- José Manuel Vaquero – organetto, hurdy gurdy
- Álvaro Garrido – percussion
To celebrate the 800th anniversary of the birth of Alfonso X El Sabio, the renowned ensemble Artefactum presents a programme based on the Jerusalem-themed, as well as autobiographical, musical works written by the charismatic monarch in his incomparable work ‘Las Cantigas de Santa María’, an authentic jewel of literature and mediaeval Spanish music. This great Marian Songbook is a milestone of the 13th century in Spain, faithfully capturing the culture, religion and mentality of its people.
Dedicated in praise of the Virgin Mary, and featuring testimonies collected from Iberian and trans-Pyrenean sanctuaries, the book was selected, compiled and translated with enormous effort and knowledge. In its pages, we can also discover a hidden biography of the King: his parents, brothers, wife and children appear, and there are even songs which allude to political events and campaigns of warfare. Alfonso’s ‘tragic decade’ is also portrayed in this book, which documents the king’s political frustrations, illness, fears and grief.
