[Begin Theme Music]
Welcome to Harmonia…I’m Angela Mariani. This hour, we’re heralding in the holiday season with an extended devotional prayer—or is it a party—called Las Posadas. This Mexican Christmas tradition dates back to the sixteenth century and is celebrated from December 16th through 24th. So, grab some tamales and churros and get ready to burst open the piñata as we celebrate Las Posadas with music from Renaissance and Baroque Mexico. Then, we pop back over to Europe for our featured release Weihnachtshistorie. Manfred Cordes leads Weser-Renaissance Bremen in an album of Christmas music from Breslau, now Wrocław, Poland.
[Music fades]
MUSIC TRACK
Nueva Española: Close Encounters of the New World (1590-1690)
Les Amis de la Sagesse Women's Choir and Boston Camerata / Joel Cohen, conductor
Erato 2005 / Naxos 825646240869
Tomás de Torrejón y Velasco
Tr. 4 A este sol peregrino (4:49)
“A este sol peregrino” by Tomás de Torrejón y Velasco. Les Amis de la Sagesse Women's Choir and Boston Camerata performed music from New Spain.
The piñata has several origin stories—from Spain, China, and Mesoamerica to name a few. The Aztecs celebrated the birthday of the god Huizilopochtli by bursting open a clay pot filled with feathers. Participants were blindfolded and struck the pot until it broke, revealing a burst of objects left at the idol’s feet. Spanish missionaries brought over a similar tradition from Europe, breaking open a clay container during Lent. As often occurred in colonial contexts, particularly when there was a religious agenda, colonists would find some commonality in a traditional observance, while conveniently replacing the indigenous deity with their own. Thus the tradition of the piñata was brought into December and Christmas festivities. Here’s “Celebren, publiquen,” by Mexican baroque composer Manuel de Zumaya.
MUSIC TRACK
Chanticleer: Reflections
Chanticleer Choir and Sinfonia / Joseph Jennings, conductor
Teldec 2006 / Naxos 706301844366
Manuel Zumaya (Sumaya)
Tr. 5 Celebren, publiquen (6:55)
Joseph Jennings led Chanticleer Choir and Sinfonia. We heard “Celebren, publiquen,” music for Christmas by Mexican baroque composer Manuel de Zumaya.
Las Posadas is celebrated December 16th through 24th recreating the biblical scene where a very pregnant Mary journeys from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Mary is turned away at several inns before giving birth to baby Jesus in a stable. In Las Posadas, people are welcomed at different locations with prayer, food, festivities, and more. At the final location, there is a piñata. Next up, it’s music by Juan de Lienas, a composer working in seventeenth-century Mexico. While we aren’t sure if Lienas was Native or Spanish, his music is connected to Mexico City and Havana, Cuba. We’ll hear “Credidi propter á 8” by Juan de Lienas.
MUSIC TRACK
Juan de Lienas: Vespers
Newberry Consort
Navona 2021 / Naxos NV6333
Juan de Lienas
Tr. 6 Credidi propter á 8 (7:03)
“Credidi propter á 8” by Juan de Lienas, whose music was heard in Baroque-era Mexico. The Newberry Consort performed on their 2021 Navona release, “Juan de Lienas: Vespers.”
[Theme music begins]
Early music can mean a lot of things. What does it mean to you? Let us know your thoughts and ideas. Contact us at harmonia early music dot org, where you’ll also find playlists and an archive of past shows.
You’re listening to Harmonia . . . I’m Angela Mariani.
[Theme music fades]
MUSIC TRACK
Nueva Española: Close Encounters of the New World (1590-1690)
Les Amis de la Sagesse Women's Choir and Boston Camerata / Joel Cohen, conductor
Erato 2005 / Naxos 825646240869
Lucas Ruiz de Ribayaz
Excerpt from Tr. 7 Pabanas (excerpt of 2:01)
Las Posadas and its piñata tradition have been celebrated in Mexico since the 1580s. While parishioners heard music composed by Mexican-born and European-born composers, and the use of instrumental music may have been different to some degree in sacred settings, the music of the colonists prevailed in the churches and cathedrals. This included the introduction of works by well-known Spanish composers like Cristóbal de Morales, Francisco Guerrero, and Tomás Luis de Victoria. Here is “Jesu Redemptor omnium” set by Tomás Luis de Victoria.
MUSIC TRACK
Christmas in Spain and Mexico
La Columbina
Christophorus 2020 / Naxos CHE0189-2
Tomás Luis de Victoria / Esteva de Brito
Tr. 3 Jesu Redemptor omnium - Tu lumen et splendor Patris - Gloria tibi, Domine (3:40)
“Jesu Redemptor omnium,” set by Spanish Renaissance composer Tomás Luis de Victoria, performed by La Columbina.
In 1575, Hernando Franco moved from Guatemala to Mexico City to work at the grand cathedral, which was said to have been rivaled only by the Cathedral at Sevilla. Franco would have witnessed early Las Posadas traditions, providing music for the festivities. Franco used Spanish and Latin texts for his music, and he also sometimes texted pieces in Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs.
We’ll hear “In ilhuicac” (In Heaven) by Hernando Franco.
MUSIC TRACK
Nuevo Mundo: 17th Century Music in Latin America
Ensemble Elyma / Gabriel Garrido, conductor
Glossa 2017 / GCDC80022
Hernando Franco
Tr. 12 In ilhuicac (2:08) (really 1:40)
“In ilhuicac” (in Heaven) by Hernando Franco. Gabriel Garrido led Ensemble Elyma.
Juan Gutéirrez de Padilla traveled from the Cádiz Cathedral in southern Spain to the New World. When he arrived in Puebla, it was a flourishing city. The Cathedral was nearly complete, and Padilla wrote music for the Cathedral and city including his Missa Joseph fili David, a mass based on his own Christmas motet. We’ll hear the Gloria from Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla’s Missa Joseph fili David.
MUSIC TRACK
Christmas in Puebla
Siglo de Oro / Patrick Alles, conductor
Delphian 2020 / Naxos DCD34238
Juan Gutéirrez de Padilla
Tr. 5 Missa Joseph fili David (excerpts), Gloria (4:00)
Gloria from Missa Joseph fili David by Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla. Patrick Alles conducted Siglo de Oro.
Staying in the holiday spirit, we move from Mexico to Breslau, lower Silesia, in current-day Poland. Lower Silesia has been part of kingdoms, empires, and nations of Germany, Poland, Hungary, Bohemia, Prussia, and the Austrian Hapsburg regions, to name a few. This much fought-over region has a rich musical history, and St. Mary Magdalene church in Breslau was an important center of Lutheran worship for centuries. Let’s hear an anonymous poly-choral work from Breslau based on a Christmas hymn by Martin Luther: “Praise be to you, Jesus Christ.”
MUSIC TRACK
Tobias Zeutschner: Weihnachtshistorie
Weser-Renaissance Bremen / Manfred Cordes, conductor
CPO 2020 / Naxos 555368-2
Anonymous
Tr. 9 Halleluja – Gelobet seystu Jesu Christ à 15 (7:18)
“Halleluja – Gelobet seystu Jesu Christ à 15,” anonymous music from seventeenth-century Breslau.
Composer and poet Tobias Zeutschner worked at St. Mary Magdalene in Breslau. His sacred concerto Weihnachtshistorie tells the Christmas story, beginning [quote] “The Birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ according to the Holy Evangelist Matthew.” Zeutschner’s piece was performed in the same decade as Heinrich Schütz’s “Christmas Story,” first heard in 1660. We’ll hear a middle-section of Tobias Zeutschner’s “Christmas Story,” “Now the Birth of Christ Happened in this Way” [from our featured release, Weihnachtshistorie. Manfred Cordes leads Weser-Renaissance Bremen].
MUSIC TRACK
Tobias Zeutschner: Weihnachtshistorie
Weser-Renaissance Bremen / Manfred Cordes, conductor
CPO 2021 / Naxos 555368-2
Tobias Zeutschner
Tr. 4 Die Geburth unsers Herren und Heylandes Jesu Christi nach dem Heiligen Evangelisten Matthaeo: Die Geburt Christi war aber also getan / (The Birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ according to the Holy Evangelist Matthew: Now the Birth of Christ Happened in this Way) (8:31)
We heard “Now the Birth of Christ Happened in this Way” by Tobias Zeutschner. Weser-Renaissance Bremen was led by Manfred Cordes.
We’ll wrap up this Christmas party with more music by Tobias Zeutschner. We’ll hear “Now do rejoice, large and small; little Jesus is born, so let us be glad”-- performed here by voices, violins, trumpets, sackbuts, and basso continuo.
MUSIC TRACK
Tobias Zeutschner: Weihnachtshistorie
Weser-Renaissance Bremen / Manfred Cordes, conductor
CPO 2021 / Naxos 555368-2
Tobias Zeutscher
Tr. 1 Ehre sey Gott allein à 12 (4:50)
Tr. 13: Esurientes implevit bonis est divites dimisit inanes (excerpt of 1:49)
Christmas music by seventeenth-century composer Tobias Zeutschner from Breslau. We heard “Now do rejoice, large and small; little Jesus is born, so be glad” performed by Weser-Renaissance Bremen from their 2021 CPO recording, Weihnachtshistorie.
On behalf of the Harmonia team, peace on earth and happy holidays to one and all.
[Fade in theme music]
Harmonia is a production of WFIU and part of the educational mission of Indiana University.
Support comes from Early Music America: a national organization that advocates and supports the historical performance of music of the past, the community of artists who create it, and the listeners whose lives are enriched by it. On the web at EarlyMusicAmerica-dot-org.
Additional resources come from the William and Gayle Cook Music Library at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
We welcome your thoughts about any part of this program, or about early music in general. Contact us at harmonia early music dot org. You can follow us on Facebook by searching for Harmonia Early Music.
The writer for this edition of Harmonia was Sarah Huebsch Schilling.
Thanks to our studio engineer Michael Paskash, and our production team: LuAnn Johnson, Wendy Gillespie, Aaron Cain, and John Bailey. I’m Angela Mariani, wishing you a happy holiday season.
[Theme music concludes]
Welcome to Harmonia…I’m Angela Mariani. This hour, we’re heralding in the holiday season with an extended devotional prayer—or is it a party—called Las Posadas. This Mexican Christmas tradition dates back to the sixteenth century and is celebrated from December 16th through 24th. So, grab some tamales and churros and get ready to burst open the piñata as we celebrate Las Posadas with music from Renaissance and Baroque Mexico. Then, we pop back over to Europe for our featured release Weihnachtshistorie. Manfred Cordes leads Weser-Renaissance Bremen in an album of Christmas music from Breslau, now Wrocław, Poland.
[Music fades]
MUSIC TRACK
Nueva Española: Close Encounters of the New World (1590-1690)
Les Amis de la Sagesse Women's Choir and Boston Camerata / Joel Cohen, conductor
Erato 2005 / Naxos 825646240869
Tomás de Torrejón y Velasco
Tr. 4 A este sol peregrino (4:49)
“A este sol peregrino” by Tomás de Torrejón y Velasco. Les Amis de la Sagesse Women's Choir and Boston Camerata performed music from New Spain.
The piñata has several origin stories—from Spain, China, and Mesoamerica to name a few. The Aztecs celebrated the birthday of the god Huizilopochtli by bursting open a clay pot filled with feathers. Participants were blindfolded and struck the pot until it broke, revealing a burst of objects left at the idol’s feet. Spanish missionaries brought over a similar tradition from Europe, breaking open a clay container during Lent. As often occurred in colonial contexts, particularly when there was a religious agenda, colonists would find some commonality in a traditional observance, while conveniently replacing the indigenous deity with their own. Thus the tradition of the piñata was brought into December and Christmas festivities. Here’s “Celebren, publiquen,” by Mexican baroque composer Manuel de Zumaya.
MUSIC TRACK
Chanticleer: Reflections
Chanticleer Choir and Sinfonia / Joseph Jennings, conductor
Teldec 2006 / Naxos 706301844366
Manuel Zumaya (Sumaya)
Tr. 5 Celebren, publiquen (6:55)
Joseph Jennings led Chanticleer Choir and Sinfonia. We heard “Celebren, publiquen,” music for Christmas by Mexican baroque composer Manuel de Zumaya.
Las Posadas is celebrated December 16th through 24th recreating the biblical scene where a very pregnant Mary journeys from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Mary is turned away at several inns before giving birth to baby Jesus in a stable. In Las Posadas, people are welcomed at different locations with prayer, food, festivities, and more. At the final location, there is a piñata. Next up, it’s music by Juan de Lienas, a composer working in seventeenth-century Mexico. While we aren’t sure if Lienas was Native or Spanish, his music is connected to Mexico City and Havana, Cuba. We’ll hear “Credidi propter á 8” by Juan de Lienas.
MUSIC TRACK
Juan de Lienas: Vespers
Newberry Consort
Navona 2021 / Naxos NV6333
Juan de Lienas
Tr. 6 Credidi propter á 8 (7:03)
“Credidi propter á 8” by Juan de Lienas, whose music was heard in Baroque-era Mexico. The Newberry Consort performed on their 2021 Navona release, “Juan de Lienas: Vespers.”
[Theme music begins]
Early music can mean a lot of things. What does it mean to you? Let us know your thoughts and ideas. Contact us at harmonia early music dot org, where you’ll also find playlists and an archive of past shows.
You’re listening to Harmonia . . . I’m Angela Mariani.
[Theme music fades]
MUSIC TRACK
Nueva Española: Close Encounters of the New World (1590-1690)
Les Amis de la Sagesse Women's Choir and Boston Camerata / Joel Cohen, conductor
Erato 2005 / Naxos 825646240869
Lucas Ruiz de Ribayaz
Excerpt from Tr. 7 Pabanas (excerpt of 2:01)
Las Posadas and its piñata tradition have been celebrated in Mexico since the 1580s. While parishioners heard music composed by Mexican-born and European-born composers, and the use of instrumental music may have been different to some degree in sacred settings, the music of the colonists prevailed in the churches and cathedrals. This included the introduction of works by well-known Spanish composers like Cristóbal de Morales, Francisco Guerrero, and Tomás Luis de Victoria. Here is “Jesu Redemptor omnium” set by Tomás Luis de Victoria.
MUSIC TRACK
Christmas in Spain and Mexico
La Columbina
Christophorus 2020 / Naxos CHE0189-2
Tomás Luis de Victoria / Esteva de Brito
Tr. 3 Jesu Redemptor omnium - Tu lumen et splendor Patris - Gloria tibi, Domine (3:40)
“Jesu Redemptor omnium,” set by Spanish Renaissance composer Tomás Luis de Victoria, performed by La Columbina.
In 1575, Hernando Franco moved from Guatemala to Mexico City to work at the grand cathedral, which was said to have been rivaled only by the Cathedral at Sevilla. Franco would have witnessed early Las Posadas traditions, providing music for the festivities. Franco used Spanish and Latin texts for his music, and he also sometimes texted pieces in Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs.
We’ll hear “In ilhuicac” (In Heaven) by Hernando Franco.
MUSIC TRACK
Nuevo Mundo: 17th Century Music in Latin America
Ensemble Elyma / Gabriel Garrido, conductor
Glossa 2017 / GCDC80022
Hernando Franco
Tr. 12 In ilhuicac (2:08) (really 1:40)
“In ilhuicac” (in Heaven) by Hernando Franco. Gabriel Garrido led Ensemble Elyma.
Juan Gutéirrez de Padilla traveled from the Cádiz Cathedral in southern Spain to the New World. When he arrived in Puebla, it was a flourishing city. The Cathedral was nearly complete, and Padilla wrote music for the Cathedral and city including his Missa Joseph fili David, a mass based on his own Christmas motet. We’ll hear the Gloria from Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla’s Missa Joseph fili David.
MUSIC TRACK
Christmas in Puebla
Siglo de Oro / Patrick Alles, conductor
Delphian 2020 / Naxos DCD34238
Juan Gutéirrez de Padilla
Tr. 5 Missa Joseph fili David (excerpts), Gloria (4:00)
Gloria from Missa Joseph fili David by Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla. Patrick Alles conducted Siglo de Oro.
Staying in the holiday spirit, we move from Mexico to Breslau, lower Silesia, in current-day Poland. Lower Silesia has been part of kingdoms, empires, and nations of Germany, Poland, Hungary, Bohemia, Prussia, and the Austrian Hapsburg regions, to name a few. This much fought-over region has a rich musical history, and St. Mary Magdalene church in Breslau was an important center of Lutheran worship for centuries. Let’s hear an anonymous poly-choral work from Breslau based on a Christmas hymn by Martin Luther: “Praise be to you, Jesus Christ.”
MUSIC TRACK
Tobias Zeutschner: Weihnachtshistorie
Weser-Renaissance Bremen / Manfred Cordes, conductor
CPO 2020 / Naxos 555368-2
Anonymous
Tr. 9 Halleluja – Gelobet seystu Jesu Christ à 15 (7:18)
“Halleluja – Gelobet seystu Jesu Christ à 15,” anonymous music from seventeenth-century Breslau.
Composer and poet Tobias Zeutschner worked at St. Mary Magdalene in Breslau. His sacred concerto Weihnachtshistorie tells the Christmas story, beginning [quote] “The Birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ according to the Holy Evangelist Matthew.” Zeutschner’s piece was performed in the same decade as Heinrich Schütz’s “Christmas Story,” first heard in 1660. We’ll hear a middle-section of Tobias Zeutschner’s “Christmas Story,” “Now the Birth of Christ Happened in this Way” [from our featured release, Weihnachtshistorie. Manfred Cordes leads Weser-Renaissance Bremen].
MUSIC TRACK
Tobias Zeutschner: Weihnachtshistorie
Weser-Renaissance Bremen / Manfred Cordes, conductor
CPO 2021 / Naxos 555368-2
Tobias Zeutschner
Tr. 4 Die Geburth unsers Herren und Heylandes Jesu Christi nach dem Heiligen Evangelisten Matthaeo: Die Geburt Christi war aber also getan / (The Birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ according to the Holy Evangelist Matthew: Now the Birth of Christ Happened in this Way) (8:31)
We heard “Now the Birth of Christ Happened in this Way” by Tobias Zeutschner. Weser-Renaissance Bremen was led by Manfred Cordes.
We’ll wrap up this Christmas party with more music by Tobias Zeutschner. We’ll hear “Now do rejoice, large and small; little Jesus is born, so let us be glad”-- performed here by voices, violins, trumpets, sackbuts, and basso continuo.
MUSIC TRACK
Tobias Zeutschner: Weihnachtshistorie
Weser-Renaissance Bremen / Manfred Cordes, conductor
CPO 2021 / Naxos 555368-2
Tobias Zeutscher
Tr. 1 Ehre sey Gott allein à 12 (4:50)
Tr. 13: Esurientes implevit bonis est divites dimisit inanes (excerpt of 1:49)
Christmas music by seventeenth-century composer Tobias Zeutschner from Breslau. We heard “Now do rejoice, large and small; little Jesus is born, so be glad” performed by Weser-Renaissance Bremen from their 2021 CPO recording, Weihnachtshistorie.
On behalf of the Harmonia team, peace on earth and happy holidays to one and all.
[Fade in theme music]
Harmonia is a production of WFIU and part of the educational mission of Indiana University.
Support comes from Early Music America: a national organization that advocates and supports the historical performance of music of the past, the community of artists who create it, and the listeners whose lives are enriched by it. On the web at EarlyMusicAmerica-dot-org.
Additional resources come from the William and Gayle Cook Music Library at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
We welcome your thoughts about any part of this program, or about early music in general. Contact us at harmonia early music dot org. You can follow us on Facebook by searching for Harmonia Early Music.
The writer for this edition of Harmonia was Sarah Huebsch Schilling.
Thanks to our studio engineer Michael Paskash, and our production team: LuAnn Johnson, Wendy Gillespie, Aaron Cain, and John Bailey. I’m Angela Mariani, wishing you a happy holiday season.
[Theme music concludes]
