EL CANT DE LA SIBIL·LA

Reference: AVSA9806

• Montserrat Figueras
• La Capella Reial de Catalunya
• Jordi Savall

Released in 1999, this is the third volume of “Songs of the Sibyls”, a series of recordings begun with Auvidis in 1988. It has won praise from the critics and the record-buying public, fascinated by these superb works from a long-distant past, have eagerly awaited each new discovery.

The origins of the Songs of the Sibyls date back to the 6th century BC. Semi-divine beings, their oracular powers enabled them to predict the future. The myth of the sibyl was appropriated by the early Christians to prophesy the second coming of Christ, heralding the last judgment and the end of the world. This mythological element survived as late as the Middle Ages and even the Renaissance. Originally sung in Latin, the Songs of the Sibyls were traditionally performed by a young boy disguised as a woman during Matins on Christmas Day or during Holy Week in France, Italy and especially the Iberian Peninsula from the 10th century. Over time, traditional elements of popular music were added to the profoundly austere original versions and from the 13th century, the Sibyls were sung in the vernacular. They fell into disuse in the 18th century, although the tradition is still alive in certain areas (particularly Majorca, where the Songs of the Sibyl are still sung before Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve).

In this recording, Jordi Savall presents two more Sibyls: from Majorca (taken from a 15th century manuscript conserved in Palma) and Valencia (dated 1533 and reconstituted on the basis of a manuscript by Bartolomé Cárceres and Alonso). Montserrat Figueras truly lives and breathes this repertoire; as always, her performance is impassioned and moving. Perfectly matched with La Capella Reial de Catalunya, she embodies the hypnotic power and soaring magical quality of this music from another age.