Gregorio Paniagua - Spanische Folias (180g) LP

Atrium Musicae de Madrid, Gregorio Paniagua
Label: Harmonia Mundi, 1980

Serie: Speakers Corner Records

From the Folia, which was first mentioned in Portugal around 1500, neither forms nor melodies are known. While the chroniclers describe the folio as the noisy dance of masked and disguised figures jumping around as if they had lost their minds, in the early 17th century a calm, saraband-like variety prevailed in Europe.
Grégorio Paniagua, head of Atrium Musicae De Madrid, once again shows himself to be a virtuoso in dealing with historical sources: In addition to medieval and baroque instruments, his arrangements include an arsenal of percussion instruments, such as various small drums, triangles, tambourines, castanets and xylophones. As the record title already suggests, the ensemble spices up its airy sound hybris with little craziness. One gets to hear a jazzy solo, which reminds one of the "Pink Panther" theme, and the Orient is also thought of with two Indian music (Ragas), in which the sitar passionately chirps to rich plop tabla rhythms
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With its high-resolution sound image, the adequate reproduction of which places high demands on the hi-fi equipment, this record is cult and legend at the same time.