Jordi Savall had every historical, geographical and emotional reason to pay a well deserved tribute to one of the most famous manuscripts of ancient music. The Llibre Vermell de Montserrat («Red Book of Montserrat») is a collection of devotional texts containing late medieval songs and dances. The 14th-century manuscript was compiled in and is still located at the monastery of Montserrat outside Barcelona in Catalonia (Spain). The title describes the red binding in which the collection was placed in the 19th century. The songs were written in Catalan, in Occitan and in Latin for the pilgrims to have something appropriately «chaste and pious» to sing and dance. In this beautiful live recording made at the Santa Maria del Pi church in Barcelona, the colorful succession of songs and dances offers us a pleasant trip to the heart of the medieval music.
1. O Virgo splendens (monodic) 2’11
2. O Virgo splendens (canon a 2 i a 3) 2’21
3. Improvisació arpa 1’27
4. Stella splendens 7’08
5. Improvisació duduk 0’51
6. Laudemus Virginem 2’46
7. Improvisació santur 0’44
8. Los set gotxs 6’25
9. Improvisació duduk & flauta 0’57
10. Splendens ceptigera 2’38
11. Improvisació cistre 1’30
12. Polorum regina 6’58
13. Improvisació rebab i arpa 0’46
14. Cuncti simus concanentes 4’21
15. Improvisació llaüt 0’53
16. Mariam matrem Virginem 8’09
17. Improvisació viella 1’17
18. Imperayritz de la ciutat joyosa 5’14
19. Improvisació cornamusa & xeremia 0’50
20. Ad mortem festinamus 5’21
21. O Virgo splendens (canon a 3 & monodic) 4’39
22. Quant ai lo mont consirat (Bonus track) 4’07