Jordi Savall spreads joy throughout the Liceu

It is impossible to reproduce the sociocultural context of 18th-century Peru, let alone the popular dances and music that existed outside the conventions of courtly life and the structures of the European Baroque. And even less so in a setting like the Gran Teatre del Liceu, a temple more contemplative than participatory. What is possible, however, is to recreate the sound of the music that Bishop Baltasar Jaime Martínez de Compañón commissioned to be recorded and later compiled in the Trujillo Codex of Peru, a documentary treasure of the Baroque in Latin America. It is even possible to propose choreographies based on the watercolors found in the same codex. And above all, it is possible for everything to sound and be danced with both rigor and joy. It is precisely this—rigor and joy—that the performance conveys. the show Creole festival presented by Jordi Savall at the Liceu with musicians from his ensembles and the collaboration of the Tembembe Ensamble Continuo and the dancers of ArteSon Danza México.

The musical repertoire encompassed the scores included in the codex, many of them intended to be danced while singing. The dancing was provided by five dancers who performed folk dances, some incorporating handkerchiefs as a choreographic element. The vocals were provided by the soloists of the Royal Chapel, impeccable as usual, and by other singers such as soprano Maria Juliana Linhares and bass Yannis François. Under Savall's direction, the musicians set the tone of the concert with joyful tunes, both spiritual and secular, because one of the characteristics of these pieces is precisely the joy they convey, the absence of solemnity even in the most religious verses. The same vibrant tone was shared by the images and animations of Santi Moix projected on the backdrop, which complemented the performance without being intrusive.

The Creole festival It also fostered interesting dialogues between Savall's viola da gamba and Ulises Martínez's violin, and in general, the excellent rapport between the musicians of Le Concert des Nations and those of the Tembembe Ensamble Continuo, especially with Leopoldo Novoa. The festive character became even more noticeable towards the end of the concert, first with the cachua. The new Huichoopen to very stimulating improvisations, and then with the guajira Downpour, light rainThe only piece in the repertoire not from the codex. The Cuban Lixsania Fernández, overflowing with stage charisma, set aside the viola da gamba she had played throughout the concert to rise and sing a guajira, her heartfelt sympathy echoing that of the other singers and musicians. The Liceu's ovation led to an encore in which they repeated Downpour, light rain, with even more joy in our bodies and voices.