Performers

Jorge Jimenez, violin

Daniel Pinteño, violin

Ruth Verona, cello

Pablo Zapico, baroque guitar

Daniel Zapico, theorbo

Aarón Zapico, harpsichord and director

Programme

Obertura

José de Nebra (1702-1768)

Obertura de Iphigenia en Tracia

Allegro

Bernardo Álvarez Acero (1766-1821)

Fandango

Primera Jornada

José Castel (1737-1807)

Sinfonía nº 3

Allegro

Nicolás Conforto (1718-1793)

Sinfonía de La Nitteti

Andante alla francese

Vicente Baset (1719-1764)

Sinfonia a più stromenti Bas-3

Allegro assay

Adagio

Minuete

Segunda Jornada

Luigi Boccherini (1743-1805)

Tempo di Minuetto (Op VI)

Juan Bautista Mele (ca.1701-1752)

Sinfonía de Angelica e Medoro

Andante

Nicolás Conforto 

Fandango

Vicente Baset

Apertura a più stromenti Bas-7

Allegro assay

Andante moderato

Presto

Tercera Jornada

Santiago de Murcia (1673-1739)

Cumbees

Nicolás Conforto

Sinfonía de Siroe

Con ira

Andante alla francese

Allegro

Francisco Corselli (1705-1778)

Obertura de La cautela en la amistad

Andante

José de Nebra

Obertura de Iphigenia en Tracia

Minué

Allegro

Finale

José Castel

Sinfonía nº 3

Minuetto

Vicente Baset

Apertura a più stromenti Bas-5

Allegro assay

Adagio

Allegro

Programme Notes

In the mid-18th century, Madrid was a town and home to the Court. The capital of a disorderly kingdom, difficult to rule and with an inconvenient size, struggling to match other European capitals. Madrid is a cultural centre. A melting pot of sainetes, tonadillas and overtures. The courtyards and arenas ignite the spark of passions and affections in a perpetual bustle. The scene is the street, life itself! Madrid is the sharing and exchanging of traditions, fashions and styles. It is amazement and awe. Madrid is a state of mind.

In this context of intense musical creativity, the openness to other styles and the influence of teachers and musicians, especially Italian, in our orchestras, is contrasted in a most Baroque dichotomy with the love, expansion and general praise of our repertoire. Of our own style. Of the authentic, one might say. The bright and daring language of the violin is embraced, musical forms are adapted to the pace of speech, and the music in our country reaches a level of excellence, dissemination and care never seen before. Italian influence and wise coexistence are the key to this triumph.

And how can one provide a soundtrack to this setting, to these newly illuminated narrow streets? Stealing from stage music. From show business. Borrowing what is heard and cheered in courtyards and halls, stages and squares. From the Fandango danced a thousand times to the dramatic Overture that announces a well-settled entanglement. From the French-influenced Symphony and that in local style to transalpine Allegros. The famous are present: Nebra, Conforto and Corselli. But so are some recent discoveries, unexpected surprises named Baset, Castel, or Mele. A three-day street map with its corresponding Overture and Finale. Music devoid of words but with a wide range of transparent emotions and blunt affections.

The more than twenty years that have seen the existence of Forma Antiqva have witnessed a continuous trickle of heritage recovery. Little by little, the duty towards our music has infiltrated deeply, and projects are happening in the most varied ways. Tonadillas by Blas de Laserna, an Italian-style opera by Literes, cantatas by Durón or, more recently, symphonies by Baset are some examples of this already considerable corpus of music, tested in all possible scenarios and that represents an experience and knowledge of what is ours of immense value.

Worthy of a proud claim.

Aarón Zapico