The melodic profile of the Cantigas de Santa María offers a surprising range of musical possibilities. Many of these have already been tried, and the countless recordings to be found on the market (it would be worth producing a monographic catalogue of these) thus present a veritable mosaic of options. They range from recordings for a single voice through to those where instruments take the place of voices. Between the two extremes, the instrumental and vocal arrangement has become consolidated both in live performances and in sound recordings.

The performance style of the group Antequera, with the extraordinary singer Johannette Zomer, is yet another addition in terms of formal inventiveness. In this we find melodies shared between voice and instruments (Miragres fremosos) together with interpretations in which the solo female voice is accompanied by single or double vocal bourdons (Santa María loei). A purely instrumental performance (Como ponden) would be questionable, whereas the sung chorus and the narrated verses take us right to the melodies of the Wise King. When the singer is accompanied by the Arabian lute, she strives to imitate it by producing microtones in the final sustained notes (Virgen Madre groriosa). The extraordinary voice and exquisite style of Zomer make this a very pleasant recording to listen to. The instrumental accompaniments are quite discreet and do not overshadow the vocal performance at any time. The realisation of Dized’ai trobadores, with its alternation between the troubadours and the narrator, is especially recommended. JUAN CARLOS ASENSIO