account
basket
Challenge Records Int. Logo
"Without music, life would be a mistake." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Capella de la Torre

Capella de la Torre is a group of musicians who have made a name for themselves as specialists in historical performance practice. The ensemble's aim is to give listeners an immediate experience of the rich and hitherto neglected repertoire of mediaeval and renaissance music by performing it to a professional standard.
The name "de la Torre" has a double meaning. In the first place, it pays homage to the Spanish composer Francisco de la Torre, who wrote his "Danza Alta" at the beginning of the 16th century. This is probably the most famous piece for what was then known as "capella alta", an ensemble of wind instruments such as shawms,  dulcians, sackbuts and cornetti. Capella de la Torre has specialized in music written for the "capella alta". Secondly, the name may be taken in a literal sense: "de la Torre" means "from the tower" and groups of wind players (Spanish: ministriles) often played on towers or balconies at festivals and other official occasions. "Torres de los Ministriles" are still to be found in many Spanish towns today.
Capella de la Torre does not confine itself to Spanish music, however, but also plays music written throughout the rest of Europe for the "hauts instruments" or "loud instruments". In general, it tries to breathe life into the old traditions of "ministriles", "piffari" and "Stadtpfeiffer".
In the music world of today there are very few ensembles centred around historical  double-reed instruments. This is particularly so in Germany.

Featured on

New eyes on Martin Luther
Nils Landgren & Friends
Piffarissimo - Instrumental music at the Council of Constance 1414-1418
Capella de la Torre / Katharina Bäuml
Various composers
Luther's wedding day
Capella de la Torre
Various composers
Vinum et Musica - Songs & dances from Nuremberg sources (15th & 16th century)
Capella de la Torre / Dominique Visse