Valencia, 18 november 2021
Capella de Ministrers has been nominated by the jury of the prestigious International Classical Music Awards (ICMA) in the category of Early Music for two albums: Cantigas de Santa María and Germanies. In these works, the ensemble explores the well-known compositions of Alfonso X the Wise (Toledo, 1221 – Seville, 1284), as well as war and peace music from the Renaissance by various European composers in commemoration of the War of the Germanies.
The ICMA Awards, considered the “Grammys” of classical music, have announced the nominations that bring together renowned soloists, ensembles, conductors, and orchestras, as well as many young musicians who have been selected for the first time in 2022. The jury, composed of members from some of the most reputable specialized European publications, has selected 17 proposals in the Early Music section, and a total of 377 audio and video productions in 16 different categories (Baroque, opera, vocal music, chamber music, symphonic, contemporary, etc.).To be nominated, a production must be proposed by at least two jury members. The finalists will be announced on December 14, and the winners will be revealed on January 20, 2022. The award ceremony will take place at the Philharmonie in Luxembourg on April 21, and the gala concert will be performed by the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by one of this year’s winners.
Capella de Ministrers, led by Carles Magraner, which will celebrate its 35th anniversary in the national and international historical music scene in 2022, received the Carles Santos Award and the ICMA Award in 2018, and was a finalist in 2021, among many other accolades throughout its illustrious history. The ensemble works on the recovery of a heritage that has been documented in 64 of its own albums, as well as various collaborations, compilations, and promotional CDs, representing a great legacy that has been disseminated through more than 1,600 concerts in renowned auditoriums in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America.
Magraner, after thanking the jury for the nomination and congratulating the selected proposals, stated that “it is a new endorsement for the project that we have been carrying out for more than three decades.” The musicologist and viola da gamba player emphasized that “in this edition, two albums have been considered by experts in the European specialized press, and that gives us strength to continue working on the recovery of a vast musical heritage and to remain a reference ensemble in historical music.”
Cantigas de Santa María Capella de Ministrers compiled 19 works in the album Cantigas de Santa María from various recordings: El Grial, La Ruta de la Seda, Ramon Llull, Moresca, Musica Angelica, and Lamento di Tristano. With these pieces, the ensemble commemorates three anniversaries: the 800th anniversary of the birth of Alfonso X the Wise, the Holy Year of Xacobeo, and the tenth edition of Early Music Morella (Castellón), which took place last July.
Germanies The release of Germanies commemorates the 500th anniversary of the War of the Germanies (1519-1523), which pitted artisans and an emerging bourgeoisie against the nobility in the former Kingdoms of Valencia and Mallorca, as well as in some places in Catalonia. In this album, music, war, and history come together in a journey through representative works of an era that marks the transition to the Modern Age. According to experts such as Javier Marín-López and Virginia Sánchez-López (University of Jaén), “Capella de Ministrers explores part of the war-related repertoire composed in Europe during the ‘long’ 16th century, a period in which the culture of arms was a distinctive feature of the nobility and royalty, forming a fundamental part of their education.” They point out that some of the pieces “are linked to events associated with the military campaigns of Charles V,” while others “represent true musical battles, simulating the sounds and clamor of war, including drum beats, gunshots, fanfares, and the typical calls to arms.”