Guadalajara Early Music Cycle Returns With Three November Concerts
The ancient songs of Alfonso X el Sabio and Martín Codax, the 16th-century fantasies, hymns, and villanescas, and the historicist compositions of Felipe Pedrell form the core of the upcoming Guadalajara Early Music Cycle, which returns this November with three distinct programs across historic local venues.
Concert Dates and Venues Across Guadalajara Heritage Sites
The concert series spans three Saturdays in November, staging performances inside landmark architectural sites that include the Iglesia de Santa María Micaela, the Capilla Luis de Lucena, and the Iglesia de Santiago Apóstol. Previous editions of the festival have similarly paired historic repertoires with heritage locations such as the Palacio del Infantado and the Concatedral de Santa María, integrating the physical environment directly into the listening experience.
City culture councillor Javier Toquero explains that music is also heritage, a legacy that remains alive every time it is performed again, and says that this cycle invites listeners to hear it closely and discover the forms of expression and sensitivity of other eras alongside the performers.
Arriaca Ensemble and El Concierto De Violines Perform in November
The programming opens on Saturday, November 7, at 20:00 hours at the Iglesia de Santa María Micaela. Arriaca Ensemble and soprano Rocío Muñoz perform a program titled Felipe Pedrell (1841-1922): historicism and musical eclecticism, focusing on the composer’s body of work with free admission until capacity is reached.
The second event takes place on Saturday, November 14, at the Capilla Luis de Lucena. El Concierto de Violines performs 16th-century fantasies, hymns, and villanescas across three separate passes scheduled for 12:00, 18:00, and 20:00 hours. Because of the chapel’s capacity limits, entry requires a prior invitation, which becomes available for pickup starting November 3 at the Teatro Auditorio Buero Vallejo box office.
The series concludes on Saturday, November 21, at 20:00 hours at the Iglesia de Santiago Apóstol. Entrebescant presents a dedicated medieval program featuring the cantigas of Alfonso X el Sabio and Martín Codax, with free admission offered until reaching full capacity.
Toquero noted that the medieval cantigas, the repertoire of the 16th century, and Felipe Pedrell’s view of musical tradition offer three different approaches to that legacy, and that the spaces hosting the concerts also contribute their own history to the listening.
“Las cantigas medievales, el repertorio del siglo XVI y la mirada de Felipe Pedrell hacia la tradición musical ofrecen tres aproximaciones distintas a ese legado,” Toquero stated.
Keep reading