Recreating A Medieval Sound World

Jordi Savall and Hesperion XXI rarely release a disk that is not a well thought out programme of interesting and enterprising repertoire with a lavish accompanying booklet and this is no exception. The title is Estampies & Danses Royales - Le Manuscrit du Roi circa 1270 - 1320. It is an attempt to interpet the music from this medieval document which details both courtly dance music and troubador songsfrom the south of France and all along that north western Mediterranean corridor leading from Italy into Catalonia. It is also music associated with the doomed so called heretical cultures of the Albigensians. Savall and his band are expert at capturing the atmospheric nature of this corner of early music and the dance element is contagious. The notation of the document leaves room for discussion and interpretation as to how the music should sound but as performed here, it is beguiling and surprisingly complex and this disk makes a convincing case for it.