The Academy Of Ancient Music & Hespèrion XX - Music From The Armada Years

The Folio Society - 2xLP
UK, 1978
Baroque / Classical / Folk

Epic 1h30 long concept album, a montage of music from both Elizabeth I and Philip II of Spain during the Armada years, led by two legends of the ancient music revival. Jordi Savall's Hespèrion XX VS Christopher Hogwood's Academy of Ancient Music : who will win?

How epic is this? The first LP focus on music that was heard in the court and the gentry's society in Elizabethan England, played by Hogwood's revered Academy Of Ancient Music, while the second one is a montage of Spanish music from the exact same era, that is to say the Anglo-Spanish war in the late 16th Century, this time played by Jordi Savall's equally renowned Hespèrion XX ensemble. 

The work that was put into this record is mindblowing, from the concept of the album to the recording sessions. This is far more than just collections of songs: the two directors use eclectic musical sources to compose two narratives, each reflecting one of the two military powers engaged in the Anglo-Spanish war. In terms of editing, I must say that I have a favourite, but the whole double LP is amazing. Both records offer extremely vivid though highly phantasmagoric ambiences, taking you from light ballads to martial music, with the agility of the best RPG's. So which team are you on? (VG+/VG+)