On the banks of the Guadalquivir stands Seville's landmark, the twelve-sided Torre del Oro (Golden Tower). For many centuries, the port in front of the Torre del Oro was the starting point for the Spanish galleons that set sail for South America and returned to Seville laden with treasures. But it also symbolizes the lively and enriching exchange between peoples and cultures.
In this concert, L'Arpeggiata opens the golden gate from the Old to the New World. The starting point of the musical journey is the music of Alonso Mudarra. The Sevillian composer (1508-1580) is one of the most important Spanish vihuelists of the 16th century, whose innovations in instrumental and vocal music were so significant that their work is still recognized today. Mudarra's works were in the collectionTres libros de música en cifra para vihuela published in Seville in 1546. It contains variations on folías, tientos, pavanes, galliards, romanescen, canzones, villancicos and sonnets in Latin, Spanish and Italian, which are among the oldest solo songs with instrumental accompaniment. Starting from this collection, the musical trail leads to South America and to the "living baroque" in the traditional music culture there to this day.
