Biography
Spain's Hespèrion XXI stands out for its wide-ranging investigations of early music spanning the medieval through Baroque eras, encompassing repertory from Spain and Portugal alongside other parts of Europe and further afield. Frequently appearing alongside the larger Capella Reial de Catalunya, the ensemble ranks among Europe's leading early-music groups.
The collective originated in 1974 under the name Hespèrion XX, established by viol player Jordi Savall, singer Montserrat Figueras, plucked-string instrumentalist Hopkinson Smith, and flutist-percussionist Lorenzo Alpert. Savall has served continuously as its director, with the name changing to Hespèrion XXI at the start of the twenty-first century. The title "Hespèrion" stems from the ancient Greek "Hesperia," applied to the Iberian and Italian peninsulas and ultimately traceable to "Hespera," meaning west. Although the ensemble began with a concentration on Spanish and Portuguese music, it soon broadened its reach to medieval and Renaissance works from additional countries, releasing recordings of pieces by John Dowland, J.S. Bach, and Samuel Scheidt, among many others. Hespèrion XXI combines rigorous scholarly preparation of performance scores with a commitment to interpretations that make unfamiliar music widely approachable; each album carries extensive commentary by Savall, supplied in as many as six languages and offering detailed historical context, often presented in hardback bindings during the compact-disc era. Musicians were encouraged to improvise in line with what was understood about period performance practices.
Because of Savall's long-held professorship at the Basel Conservatory, which opened access to numerous players, Hespèrion XX/XXI enlarged its roster and thereby expanded its repertory. The group normally fields about twelve musicians, though the number may grow or shrink according to the program. In 1987 Hespèrion XX joined La Capella Reial de Catalunya, Savall's larger vocal-and-choral ensemble, while preserving its separate identity and presenting as many as one hundred concerts each year. The musicians have toured internationally, including in Arab countries infrequently visited by Western ensembles, and have received numerous major annual awards. A characteristic early recording appeared in 1999 when the group supported Montserrat Figueras on the album Diaspora Sefardi: Romances & Música Instrumental.
Hespèrion XXI has maintained a steady flow of releases on Savall's Alia Vox label, frequently issuing recordings centered on historical events or particular cultural settings, as has been typical of other Savall-directed projects. One such example is the 2012 release Erasmus von Rotterdam: In Praise of Folly. Savall's interests have turned more frequently toward non-Western music and its connections to the West: 2018 brought Bailar Cantando: Fiesta Mestiza en Peru, and in 2019 Hespèrion XXI issued Ibn Battuta: The Traveler of Islam. By 2023, when the ensemble appeared with the Mediterranean/Middle Eastern Ensemble Orpheus 21 on Oriente Lux: Dialogue des âmes, its recording catalog had reached roughly fifty items.
The collective originated in 1974 under the name Hespèrion XX, established by viol player Jordi Savall, singer Montserrat Figueras, plucked-string instrumentalist Hopkinson Smith, and flutist-percussionist Lorenzo Alpert. Savall has served continuously as its director, with the name changing to Hespèrion XXI at the start of the twenty-first century. The title "Hespèrion" stems from the ancient Greek "Hesperia," applied to the Iberian and Italian peninsulas and ultimately traceable to "Hespera," meaning west. Although the ensemble began with a concentration on Spanish and Portuguese music, it soon broadened its reach to medieval and Renaissance works from additional countries, releasing recordings of pieces by John Dowland, J.S. Bach, and Samuel Scheidt, among many others. Hespèrion XXI combines rigorous scholarly preparation of performance scores with a commitment to interpretations that make unfamiliar music widely approachable; each album carries extensive commentary by Savall, supplied in as many as six languages and offering detailed historical context, often presented in hardback bindings during the compact-disc era. Musicians were encouraged to improvise in line with what was understood about period performance practices.
Because of Savall's long-held professorship at the Basel Conservatory, which opened access to numerous players, Hespèrion XX/XXI enlarged its roster and thereby expanded its repertory. The group normally fields about twelve musicians, though the number may grow or shrink according to the program. In 1987 Hespèrion XX joined La Capella Reial de Catalunya, Savall's larger vocal-and-choral ensemble, while preserving its separate identity and presenting as many as one hundred concerts each year. The musicians have toured internationally, including in Arab countries infrequently visited by Western ensembles, and have received numerous major annual awards. A characteristic early recording appeared in 1999 when the group supported Montserrat Figueras on the album Diaspora Sefardi: Romances & Música Instrumental.
Hespèrion XXI has maintained a steady flow of releases on Savall's Alia Vox label, frequently issuing recordings centered on historical events or particular cultural settings, as has been typical of other Savall-directed projects. One such example is the 2012 release Erasmus von Rotterdam: In Praise of Folly. Savall's interests have turned more frequently toward non-Western music and its connections to the West: 2018 brought Bailar Cantando: Fiesta Mestiza en Peru, and in 2019 Hespèrion XXI issued Ibn Battuta: The Traveler of Islam. By 2023, when the ensemble appeared with the Mediterranean/Middle Eastern Ensemble Orpheus 21 on Oriente Lux: Dialogue des âmes, its recording catalog had reached roughly fifty items.
Albums
