Jordi Savall & Hesperion XXI - Le Royaume Oublie - La Tragedie Cathare (2009) {3CD Set Alia Vox AVSA 9873}

Catharism was the name given to a Christian religious sect that appeared in the Languedoc region of what is now southern France and flourished in the 12th and 13th centuries. The Cathars saw matter as intrinsically evil. They denied that Jesus could become incarnate and still be the son of God and thus, the Catholic Church regarded the sect as dangerously heretical. Faced with what they saw as a rapidly spreading cancer, the Church called for a crusade, which was carried out by knights from Northern France and Germany and was known as the Albigensian Crusade. This campaign, and the inquisition that followed it, eradicated the Cathars completely. It also had the effect of weakening the semi- independent southern principalities in the area, ultimately bringing them under direct control of the King of France.

Jordi Savall & Hesperion XXI - Esprit des Balkans (Balkan Spirit) (2013) {Alia Vox AVSA9898}

Jordi Savall & Hesperion XXI - Esprit des Balkans (Balkan Spirit) (2013) {Alia Vox AVSA9898}

Jordi Savall once again enriches our view of a region teeming with history: the Balkans. Following on the success of Spirit of Armenia, Alia Vox, a label acclaimed for revealing hidden gems from the vast history of music, presents Balkan Spirit - a collection of music that sheds light on a little-known repertoire that conveys the whole spectrum of human emotions. Presented with both the iconographic richness and quality packaging that Alia Vox is famous for, this journey of musical discovery is another important milestone in the discography of Catalan master Jordi Savall and his ensemble Hesperion XXI.

Jordi Savall - Jean-Philippe Rameau - L'Orchestre de Louis XV (2011) {2CD Set Alia Vox AVSA 9882A+B}

Jordi Savall - Jean-Philippe Rameau - L'Orchestre de Louis XV (2011) {2CD Set Alia Vox AVSA 9882A+B}

Following the success of the albums L’orchestre de Louis XIII (Philidor) and L’orchestre du Roi Soleil (Lully), Jordi Savall explores another dynastic opus, this time focusing on music by Jean-Philippe Rameau. Once again, Le Concert des Nations sparkles in these four orchestral suites, which exemplify the genius of the great French composer. With glistening orchestral colors and breathtaking virtuosity, Savall and his group demonstrate their special affinity with the repertoire of the XVIIIth century. Offered at a special low price, this high-resolution recording is a must-have for anyone interested in this repertoire.

Jordi Savall & Pedro Estevan - La Lira d'Esperia II: Galicia (2014) {Alia Vox AVSA9907}

Jordi Savall & Pedro Estevan - La Lira d'Esperia II: Galicia (2014) {Alia Vox AVSA9907}

Exactly 20 years ago (in 1994), after several years of research, experimentation and concerts, we recorded our first CD devoted to La Lira d’Espéria, performed on my three early instruments – the Rebec, the Tenor Fiddle and the Rabab (Rabel morisco) – with the indispensable percussion of Pedro Estevan. The idea was to announce the music and instruments featured in the recording using the evocative ancient names of Lyra and Hesperia. It was an obvious choice, as the whole recording was devoted to the medieval repertory for bowed instruments and consisted of music from the various Christian, Jewish and Arabo-Andalusian cultures that existed in ancient Iberia and Italica.