Including this disc, Eduardo Paniagua has already recorded nine CDs of the Cantigas de Santa María by Alfonso the Wise, a great feat in its own right which we hope is not over yet. If his goal is to record all the Cantigas, the project is more or less complete. As in previous installments, the trademark of these performances is their Arab-like rhythm, a result of the conviction that Muslim music formed part of the musical context in which the Cantigas were created: the Alphonsine schools of Murcia, Toledo and Seville. Historically, this point is indisputable. The specific process of the creation of the Cantigas, however, is not so clear.

If the Cantigas were ever sung in a more-or-less systematic fashion in Spain-this point is also unclear-their role would have been equivalent to that of the conductus or French motets with sacred themes. There is nothing to indicate the Arabian contextualization of the Cantigas, and what’s more, there are too many scholars who justify a Western-European contextualization for them not to be given absolute priority in any interpretation aspiring to be as authentic as possible. If this option is chosen, clearly the brilliance provided by the Arab-like rhythms must be obtained by other means.

This is a very beautiful CD, containing 11 cantigas narrating miracles of the Virgin which took place in France. The vocal interpretation of the pieces is restrained; the diction is exquisite and good taste reigns. Let’s hope that Eduardo Paniagua remains firm in his intent to keep offering us new installments of the Cantigas de Alfonso X, which will undoubtedly be received by the public with great interest. MARICARMEN GÓMEZ