Credits:

Todos los Tonos y Ayres, Iliber Ensemble

Description:

In 1597, the Spanish Jesuit Diego de Pantoja (15711618), driven by the ideal of Christianizing the entire empire, set foot in China to support the Italian priest Matteo Ricci. He introduced Christianity and European culture to the Forbidden City, resulting in a flourishing of diverse music at the Chinese court for nearly two centuries.This album commemorates the 450th anniversary of Pantoyas birth and features music performed at the Chinese court from Pantoyas time through the end of the 18th century, divided into four sections. The performances are by Todos los Tonos y Aires, a Spanish early music ensemble specializing in Chinese historical music, and the Iriber Ensemble, founded in Granada in 2013. Using a diverse array of instruments, they present little-known music based on historical records.Naxos Japan