Welcome to Harmonia…I’m Angela Mariani.

Sucre, Bolivia, early 18th century. The city was then called La Plata, not to be confused with the Argentinian city of La Plata. After more than 170 years, the finishing touches on La Plata’s cathedral were almost complete. A new clock had just arrived from London. The latches on the highly ornate baroque doors were so high they were easier to reach on horseback than on foot. Through the doors, light bathed the white marble through stained glass windows. The La Plata Cathedral, which in present times is called the Metropolitan Cathedral of Sucre, was one of New Spain’s most beautiful sights to behold. This hour, we’ll hear music written for this sparkling venue—plus our featured release, Tommaso Giordani’s Six Duos for Two Cellos. Join us!

MUSIC TRACK
Tommaso Giordani: Six Duos for Two Cellos
Anton TenWolde and Charlie Rasmussen, cello duo
Centaur 2020 / B08C94RJS3
Tommaso Giordani
Tr. 7 Cello Duo in G Major, Op. 18, No. 4: I. Allegro moderato (4:42)

Allegro moderato from Tommaso Giordani’s Cello Duo in G Major, opus 18 no. 4, played by Anton TenWolde and Charlie Rasmussen. We’ll hear more from this eighteenth-century Italian composer, who lived in Dublin and London, later this hour. 

When Blas Tardío y Guzmán began work as Cathedral Master at the Cathedral Church of La Plata, Bolivia (now called Sucre), in 1745, it was a sight to behold. Twenty years earlier, a state-of-the-art clock was shipped from London all the way to the city now called Sucre, to adorn the cathedral’s mish-mash of Baroque and Renaissance style. Beyond the richly detailed façade lay a sanctuary bathed in sunlight, which flowed through stained-glass windows to a sparkling, white interior. We’ll hear A la cima, al monte, a la cumbre, – “to the top, to the mountain top”—by Blas Tardío y Guzmán.

MUSIC TRACK
Le Phénix du Mexique
Ensemble Elyma / dir. Gabriel Garrido
Phaia Music 2000 / B07N95P3HS
Blas Tardío y Guzmán
Tr. 2 A la cima, al monte, a la cumbre (5:00)

We heard A la cima, al monte, a la cumbre, by criollo composer Blas Tardío y Guzmán, music from the Cathedral Church of La Plata, known today as Sucre Cathedral, Bolivia. Ensemble Elyma was directed by Gabriel Garrido.

One of the most notable music directors of the cathedral was seventeenth-century composer Juan de Araujo, who was maestro de capilla at La Plata for over 30 years. Araujo had the good fortune to work in La Plata when the region was at its height of wealth. He was able to write regularly and employ large numbers of musicians, and many of his works are for up to ten voices. We’ll hear two works by Araujo: Silenco, pasito and Dixit Dominus.

MUSIC TRACK
Lima & La Plata: Missions Jésuites
Niños Cantores de Córdoba / Ensemble Elyma / Gabriel Garrido, cond.
Phaia Music 2016 / B01M0OS1F9
Juan de Araujo
Tr. 2 Silenco, pasito (4:56)
Tr. 3 Dixit Dominus (4:15)

Two pieces: Silencio, pasito, and Dixit Dominus, by Juan de Araujo, maestro de capilla of La Plata Cathedral. Ensemble Elyma was led by Gabriel Garrido.

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You can hear highlights from recent and archival concert recordings of early music on Harmonia Uncut -- our biweekly podcast, curated and hosted by Wendy Gillespie. Listen online at harmonia early music dot org and through iTunes. 

You’re listening to Harmonia . . .  I’m Angela Mariani.

Theme Music Bed: Ensemble Alcatraz, Danse Royale, Elektra Nonesuch 79240-2 / B000005J0B, T.12: La Prime Estampie Royal

:59 Midpoint Break Music Bed:

Tommaso Giordani: Six Duos for Two Cellos
Anton TenWolde and Charlie Rasmussen, cello duo
Centaur 2020 / B08C94RJS3
Tommaso Giordani
Excerpt of Tr. 11 Cello Duo in A Major, Op. 18, No. 6: Cantabile (excerpt of 1:50)

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Welcome back. This hour we’ve been listening to 18th century music from the Cathedral Church of La Plata, now known as Sucre Cathedral, in Bolivia. As part of his work as maestro de capilla at the cathedral, Juan de Araujo led choristers, and taught organ, and composition. Several of his students became prominent composers in La Plata including Andrés Flores, Roque Jacinto Chavarria, and Blas Tardío Guzmán. Next up, Tota Pulchra es by Andrés Flores. Then, we’ll hear Oigan las fiestas de toros by Roque Jacinto Chavarria.

MUSIC TRACK
Fiesta criolla
Ensemble Elyma / dir. Gabriel Garrido
Phaia Music 2019 / B0191MBOKW
Andrés Flores (Tr 4); Roque Jacinto Chavarria (Tr. 15)
Tr. 4 Tota Pulchra es (3:50)
Tr. 15 Oigan las fiestas de toros (6:59)

Tota Pulchra es by Andrés Flores and Oigan las fiestas de toros (“Come Hear the bullfighting festivities”) by Roque Jacinto Chavarria—music by students of Juan de Araujo at the La Plata Cathedral.  Ensemble Elyma was directed by Gabriel Garrido.

The La Plata Cathedral was a major center in the Spanish Viceroyalty of Peru. Its location is now the city of Sucre in Bolivia, and the church is called the Metropolitan Cathedral of Sucre. Its liturgical and musical practice was tied closely to Seville. Music by both European and New World composers were kept in the cathedral’s archives. Long before the cathedral’s baroque splendor was in full force, La Plata Cathedral was home to some of South America’s best instrumentalists, choristers, and composers. 

Enticed by a higher salary, composer Gutierre Fernández Hidalgo left Cuzco for La Plata. Hidalgo also worked in Bogotá and Quito, but his rigorous teaching style proved too much for his students. He finally found  good footing at La Plata in 1598, where he spent over twenty years as maestro de capilla at the cathedral. We’ll hear one of his settings of the Magnificat.   

MUSIC TRACK
Flecha: Salades & Bombes Catalanes - Herrera: Misa de Difuntos & Santa Fé de Bogotá
Camerata Renacentista de Caracas / cond. Isabel Palacios
K617 2017 / Presto Classical cat. no. K617077-2
Gutierre Fernández Hidalgo
Tr. 14 Magnificat secundos tonus (7:43)

Magnificat secundos tonus by Gutierre Fernández Hidalgo. Camerata Renacentista de Caracas was led by Isabel Palacios. 

For our featured release this hour, we move from New World splendor to Old World charm. Joining a long tradition of Italian musicians making their way in the British Isles, Tommaso Giordani arrived on the theater scene in Dublin in 1753. Although his work was popular in Dublin, Giordani had a run-in there with some intellectual property issues, and following this plagiarism scandal, he moved to London. Here is Giordani’s Cello Duo in C Major, Op. 18, No. 3.

MUSIC TRACK
Tommaso Giordani: Six Duos for Two Cellos
Anton TenWolde and Charlie Rasmussen, cello duo
Centaur 2020 / B08C94RJS3
Tommaso Giordani
Tr. 5 Cello Duo in C Major, Op. 18, No. 3: I. Un poco allegro (5:56)
Tr. 6 Cello Duo in C Major, Op. 18, No. 3: II. Giga: Allegretto grazioso (2:48)

Anton TenWolde and Charlie Rasmussen performed Tommaso Giordani’s Cello Duo in C Major, Op. 18 from their 2020 Centaur release, Tommasso GIordani: Six Duos for Two Cellos.

Giordani composed operas and theater music for venues in Dublin and London. He even briefly operated his own theater—the English Opera House. To make some extra cash, Giordani wrote instrumental and vocal music for the growing market of highly skilled amateur musicians. The sound of strumming in Tambourino: Allegro from his F Major cello duet reminds us that he also was writing  guitar music around this same time.

MUSIC TRACK
Tommaso Giordani: Six Duos for Two Cellos
Anton TenWolde and Charlie Rasmussen, cello duo
Centaur 2020 / B08C94RJS3
Tommaso Giordani
Tr. 4. Cello Duo in F Major, Op. 18, No. 2: II. Tamborino: Allegro (2:19)

Tamborino: Allegro from Tommaso Giordani’s Cello Duo in F Major, Op. 18, No. 2 performed by Anton TenWolde and Charlie Rasmussen, from a CD of Giordani’s Six Duos for Two Cellos, released on the Centaur label.

Looks like the show is too short. If so, just go right into this last piece to fill—there is a backannounce that is included on the VT. It’s from the same featured CD.

MUSIC BREAK
Tommaso Giordani: Six Duos for Two Cellos
Anton TenWolde and Charlie Rasmussen, cello duo
Centaur 2020 / B08C94RJS3
Tommaso Giordani
Tr. 12. Cello Duo in F Major, Op. 18, No. 6: II. Allegro (2:04)


Anton TenWolde and Charlie Rasmussen played the “allegro” from the Cello Duo in F major, Opus 18 #6, by Tommaso Giordani.

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Harmonia is a production of WFIU. Support comes from Early Music America which strengthens and celebrates early music by supporting the people and organizations that perform, study, and find joy in 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. And, you can follow our Facebook page and our updates on Twitter by searching for Harmonia Early Music.

The writer for this edition of Harmonia was Sarah Schilling (or Sarah Huebsch Schilling).

Thanks to our studio engineer Michael Paskash, and our production team: Aaron Cain, Wendy Gillespie, LuAnn Johnson and John Bailey. I’m Angela Mariani, inviting you to join us again for the next edition of Harmonia. 

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