Martin Neu brings works by Correa de Arauxo, Coelho and Xaraba to life in their Spanish homeland at the organ of San Hipólito in Córdoba. The sound of the organ unfolds transparently within the church interior; noble, warm prinicipals and flute stops as well as a variety of characteristic reed stops lend great sonic dignity to the instrument. Together with the antiphonal choral sound of the Ensemble Officium, the recording reveals the multi-facetted elegance of this musical epoch.

The Golden Age (Siglo de oro) of Spain began during the rule of Emperor Charles V (1516-1556). Spain’s political and economic power also led to an artistic and cultural heyday. The most important musicians of this period included Francisco Correa de Arauxo and Manuel Rodrigues Coelho. During this period, the most important genre in keyboard music was the Tiento.

Originally an imitative form, it became a symbol of baroque freedom in the hands of Correa de Arauxo, thanks to his creativity in the use of harmony, rhythm and the art of ornamentation. The art of diminution of a work (Glosas) – the dissolution of the composition in smaller note values – is impressively shown by Correa, too. The organ of San Hipólito Church in Córdoba was built by Joseph Corchado in 1735. Over the course of the centuries, the organ was subjected to various alterations, but no fundamental changes were made in its structure and disposition. In 2006 the entire instrument was subjected to a complete restoration. The main concern of this careful restoration was to preserve the character and aesthetic of this unique instrument and to restore its originally tuning and temperament. The works recorded here are thus played on an organ that comes as close as possible to the sound aesthetics of the period during which they were composed.