Genre

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Chamber

 

Hespèrion XX is a classical music ensemble that specializes in early music, particularly from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The ensemble was founded in 1974 by Spanish musician Jordi Savall, who remains its artistic director to this day. Savall was born in 1941 in Igualada, a town near Barcelona, Spain. He began studying music at a young age and eventually became a virtuoso performer on the viola da gamba, a stringed instrument that was popular in the Baroque era. Savall was also interested in historical performance practice, which involves using period instruments and techniques to recreate the sound of music from past eras. In 1974, Savall founded Hespèrion XX with a group of like-minded musicians. The ensemble's name is a reference to the Hesperides, the nymphs of Greek mythology who guarded a garden of golden apples. The "XX" in the name was meant to signify the ensemble's focus on music from the 20th century and earlier. The original members of Hespèrion XX included Savall on viola da gamba, Montserrat Figueras on vocals, Hopkinson Smith on lute, and Lorenzo Alpert on percussion. Over the years, the ensemble has had many different members, but Savall and Figueras remained at its core until Figueras' death in 2011. Hespèrion XX quickly gained a reputation for its innovative and historically informed performances of early music. The ensemble's repertoire includes music from many different cultures and time periods, including medieval Spanish music, Baroque French music, and traditional music from the Middle East and North Africa. One of Hespèrion XX's most notable performances was its 1978 concert at the Festival d'Automne in Paris. The ensemble performed a program of Spanish Baroque music, including works by composers such as Diego Ortiz and Gaspar Sanz. The concert was a critical and commercial success, and it helped to establish Hespèrion XX as one of the leading early music ensembles of its time. Hespèrion XX has also been recognized with numerous awards and honors over the years. In 1998, the ensemble received the prestigious Léonie Sonning Music Prize, which is awarded annually to a musician or ensemble that has made a significant contribution to the world of music. Other honors include the French National Order of Merit and the Catalan National Music Prize. In addition to its live performances, Hespèrion XX has also recorded extensively. The ensemble has released more than 50 albums, many of which have received critical acclaim. Some of its most notable recordings include "La Folia," a collection of variations on a popular Baroque theme, and "Mare Nostrum," which features music from the Mediterranean region. Hespèrion XX's legacy extends beyond its own performances and recordings. The ensemble has also been instrumental in promoting early music and historical performance practice more broadly. Savall has been a leading figure in the early music movement for decades, and he has worked to educate audiences and musicians alike about the importance of understanding historical context when performing music from the past. Today, Hespèrion XX continues to perform and record, although it has undergone some changes in recent years. Following Figueras' death in 2011, Savall founded a new ensemble called Hespèrion XXI, which includes many of the same musicians as Hespèrion XX but with a slightly different focus.

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