Sebastián Raval (c.1550-1604) was a Spanish composer of vocal and instrumental music. Born in Cartagena, he served as a soldier of the Army of Flanders in Flanders and Sicily. He joined the order of St. John of Jerusalem after being wounded in the siege of Maastricht. He moved to Italy where he served as a musician in the court of Francesco Maria II della Rovere in Urbino, of the viceroy of Sicily, Bernardino de Cárdenas, and of the cardinals Peretti and Colonna in Rome.
The canzonette in this album are a clear proof of Raval’s talent. They were published in Il primo libro di canzonette a quattro voci (Venice, 1593), dedicated to the Colonna family. The canzonetta is a light genre, with anonymous texts inspired by Petrarch and in madrigalian vein, abounding in themes of love and melancholy. The Canzonette are alternated by Ricercari.
Beautifully performed by the string ensemble La Violondrina, led by María Saturno. María Saturno, Venezuelan-Italian cellist and viola gambist, graduated from the University of Musical Studies, Caracas, Venezuela. She participated in master classes with teachers Wieland Kuijken, Jordi Savall, Guido Balestracci, Bettina Hoffmann, Vittorio Ghielmi and Juan Manuel Quintana.
Works:
• Sebastián Raval: Qual fenice morendo
• Sebastián Raval: Ricercar del sesto tono naturale
• Sebastián Raval: S’el fuoco me lontan
• Sebastián Raval: Ricercar del decimo tuono
• Sebastián Raval: Viderunt te aque deus per organum
• Sebastián Raval: Valor heroico son
• Sebastián Raval: Ricercar del nono tuono
• Sebastián Raval: Chiari zaffir son gl’occhi
• Sebastián Raval: Ricercar del primo tuono
• Sebastián Raval: Ondeggiavano a l’aura
• Sebastián Raval: Se per un solo scherno (Instrumental Version)
• Sebastián Raval: De stelle nelle chiome
• Sebastián Raval: Ricercar del primo tono, trasportato in quattro fughe d’accordo
• Sebastián Raval: Corri alma mia
• Sebastián Raval: Ricercar del secondo tono, trasportato in quattro fughe d’accordo
• Sebastián Raval: Dimmi se cieco sei
• Sebastián Raval: Ricercar del terzo tono naturale 1
• Sebastián Raval: E come veggio la mia morte
•Sebastián Raval: Ricercar del undecimo tono, trasportato in quattro fughe d’accordo