Gregorio Paniagua - La Folia de la Spagna (1982) [2006 XRCD24]

“La Folia de la Spagna” is a legendary and avant-garde album recorded in 1980 by the Spanish conductor Gregorio Paniagua and his early music ensemble, Atrium Musicae de Madrid. Released by the Harmonia Mundi label, this recording achieved cult status due to its crazy, postmodern approach to early music and its incredible sound quality, which makes it highly prized by audiophiles to this day.Why This Album Is UniqueInstead of a strict academic reproduction of the famous Folia theme (a traditional 15th-century Portuguese-Spanish melody), Paniagua transformed the recording into a wild sonic performance:Mad Collages: Classical Baroque playing on authentic instruments is frequently interrupted by completely unexpected sounds.Anachronistic Noises: The musical fabric suddenly weaves in the sounds of footsteps, a buzzing chainsaw, a roaring car engine, gunshots, ringing alarm clocks, and even jazz improvisations.Audiophile Benchmark: Despite the chaos, the album was recorded with stunning dynamics, natural reverberation, and a deep soundstage. It became a classic reference disc for testing high-end audio systems.The ArtistsGregorio Paniagua — Conductor, arranger, composer, and researcher of early music.Atrium Musicae de Madrid — A Madrid-based ensemble specializing in historically informed performances of Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque music using period instruments.


Tracks:

1 Fons Vitae / Dementia Praecox Angelorum / Supra Solfamireut 6:01
2 Extravagans / Laurea Minima / In Vitro 2:07
3 Oratio Pro-Folia / Fama Volat / Citrus - Hesperides 2:27
4 Principalis. Fermescens / Indica Exacta / Adverso Flumine 8:10
5 Parsimonia Aristocraciae 3:32
6 Subtilis / De Profondis - Extra Muros 1:28
7 Vulgaris - Sine Populi Notione / Vagula Et Blandula 1:38
8 Nordica Et Desolata / Aurea Mediocritas 5:04
9 Nobilissima / Degradans Et Corruptae 2:22
10 De Pastoribus/ Mathematica Dies Irae/ Crepuscularis/ Sine Nomine/ Tristis Est Anima Mea/ Equites Fortis Armaturae/ Audaces Fortuna Iuvat/ Sine Praeputium/ Ecclesiastica 5:13
11 Theatralis Et Hipocritae / Ruralis / Alter Indica Perfecta 1:56
12 De Tolerentia Aetherea / Fuga Ficta Et Carrus Triumphalis 4:37