The vocal group the Rose Ensemble, along with a few guest instrumentalists, has produced a terrifically fun and lovely album of Christmas music from the Mexican Baroque. The nine composers represented were mostly active in the 17th century, but there is one from the 16th; some were born in Spain, but all had careers in Mexico. Some of the pieces are virtually indistinguishable from European works from the same period, and some are distinctively flavored with the character of New World dances like xácara, guaracha, and ...
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The vocal group the Rose Ensemble, along with a few guest instrumentalists, has produced a terrifically fun and lovely album of Christmas music from the Mexican Baroque. The nine composers represented were mostly active in the 17th century, but there is one from the 16th; some were born in Spain, but all had careers in Mexico. Some of the pieces are virtually indistinguishable from European works from the same period, and some are distinctively flavored with the character of New World dances like xácara, guaracha, and negrilla. The amalgamation of these indigenous musical forms with the traditional Spanish (and officially sanctioned) villancico was of concern to church authorities, who considered them "excessively arousing," but they had to admit that the music was an important incentive for getting parishioners to attend services. The music is immensely appealing, and much of it is tinged with enough exoticism to make the listener sit up and wonder at its gorgeous eccentricity. Juan García de...
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