Iberia

The choral music of 16th-century Spain and Portugal rivals that of Tudor England and the Italian Renaissance for its breathtaking polyphony and beautifully crafted musical lines. And this recording puts that golden age of Victoria, Lobo and Guerrero into fascinating context. The pure beauty of 13th-century polyphony and plainsong, stylishly performed by Les Éléments, moves gently into two of Victoria’s masterpieces, before the first of two vibrant, new choral works commissioned specially for this programme. Spanish composer Iván Solano’s “Cielo Arterial”, a work of elemental, natural power, explores every facet of choral singing, while Portuguese composer António Chagas Rosa brings 21st-century flavours to Spanish medieval and Renaissance polyphony. A sumptuous, adventurous album.