The intellectual activity of Alfonso X was very fruitful throughout his reign. His continuous commitment to the ambitious project of compiling all the knowledge of his time in a sort of universal encyclopedia causes surprise and admiration. But, undoubtedly, the work more intimately bound to the wise king was the extraordinary collection of Marian canticles in the medieval Galician-Portuguese language which he ordered to compose under his own leadership and encouragement and in which he contributed as a troubadour and poet with some original creations of his own. King Alfonso’s good taste in music explains the great number and high quality of both Iberian and foreign musicians with whom he surrounded himself in his courts of Toledo and Sevilla, and also explains the esthetic style he stamped on the repertoire of canticles. According to the musicologist H. Anglés, “The Canticles of Holy Mary” are due to its musical richness «the most important monument of Marian lyric monody in Medieval Europe». 

Jota Martínez’s ensemble exclusively plays instruments represented in Alfonso’s codices. The replicas of these instruments have been made by the most renowned European luthiers and crafters. The instrumental (organologic) study has been essential to achieve that all the replicas could be played together. Every piece played in the programme belongs to the codex T.I.1 from El Escorial library, because it is the most accurately written and the most complete. This way, the concert will be a real and genuine “alphonsine experience” since the music, singing, poetry and instruments used are closely tied to the work and personality of this great monarch. The audience will also enjoy the most complete collection of King Alfonso’s court instruments existing nowadays. Thus, the concert can be understood as a sound exhibition which is one of a kind.

Jota Martínez is an expert in music instruments from the Iberian medieval tradition. Throughout his 20 years of career he has gone across the five continents, visiting the most prestigious fests at international level. It is important to highlight his work in a project of research and reconstruction of Iberian medieval instruments which resulted in the publication, on June 2017, of a CD-Book called “Music instruments from Spanish medieval tradition”. Since 2005 he composes, records and produces music for documentaries, short films and musicals in his own studio, Pilgrim Records, specialized in ancient and folk music.

 Free entrance but limited seats. The tickets will start to be handed out an hour before the beginning of the concert. We strongly recommend to pick them up in good time.