La Barcha d’Amore is a celebration. Exquisitely planned and executed, the anthology celebrates over 30 years of music-making by ensemble Hespèrion XX (now Hespèrion XXI) and orchestra Le Concert des Nations.
It also celebrates 10 years of independent record producing by record label Alia Vox, and over 40 years of lifelong companionship by the people responsible for it all, early music pioneer and viola da gamba master Jordi Savall and his wife, soprano Montserrat Figueras.
This marvelous collection of performances recorded for various companies between 1976 and 2008 takes us on a musical journey to Italy, Germany, Spain, England, and France. In addition to Figueras and Savall, our shipmates include such luminaries as Hopkinson Smith on lute, Ton Koopman on harpsichord, Andrew Lawrence-King on harp, Rolf Lislevand on theorbo, and Maria Cristina Kiehr as soprano.
One distinct highlight is Monteverdi’s Lamento della Ninfa (Canto amoroso). Singing very slowly, Figueras shapes phrases exquisitely, swelling and sighing with a longing that distills beauty from pain. Equally vital are tenors Lambert Climent and Francese Garrigosa and bass Daniele Carnovich, who sing out with far more individuality than we’ve grown accustomed to hearing from English ensembles.
Listen to the Music
Another highlight is the group of three songs by Caccini, in which Figueras displays her remarkable facility with florid embellishment. The English set includes the charmingly accented soprano singing an extremely fetching lullaby, “My little sweet darling,” and an almost 9-minute instrumental version of Greensleeves to the Ground.
The purely instrumental selections are no less captivating. In two cantus dolorosa (sad songs) by Scheidt, Savall and Hespèrion XX prove as sonorous as Figureras, shaping phrases with remarkable sensitivity. These musicians play as if every phrase were a precious, vital heartbeat.