Suzie Leblanc - Ay Que Si! - Music in 17th Century Spain (2002)

Seventeenth-century Spain was a theatre of upheavals, and its music was perfectly suited to both its joys and its tribulations. This recording features various faces of this rich musical tradition through a choice of secular vocal and instrumental works combining the most typical timbres of the Spanish Baroque. Two composers especially stand out: Juan Hidalgo (1614-1685) et José Marín (v. 1618/19-1699), whose music figured prominently at the Spanish court. Their songs, driven by infectious rhythms, are rendered here by the resplendent golden voice of Suzie LeBlanc. The instrumental parts acquire depth and panache thanks to the sensitive playing of Les Voix Humaines, joined for the occasion by Maxine Eilander on Spanish harp and Stephen Stubbs on Baroque guitar.