Tempus Fugit. Photographic views

Tempus Fugit. Photographic views.

20 years of Capella de Ministrers

From 13 February to 11 March 2007.

Oberta room. La Nau

From Tuesday to Saturday, from 10 to 13.30 and from 16 to 20 h.

Sunday, from 10 to 14 h.

To some extent, if recovering means rescuing and liberating, then Capella de Ministrers have made us freer, as they have allowed us to get closer to some medieval, renaissance and Baroque works. Their lyrics give us a partial picture of this literature, which can only be completed if we know the music accompaniment. This way, music becomes a bridge for today’s men and women to escape from the 21^st century and join the men and women who listened to music centuries ago.

Since its creation in 1987, Capella de Ministrers, directed by Carles Magraner, have rescued a great deal of our music heritage from the Middle Ages to 1800. Thanks to their great historic rigour and taste for beauty, they allow us to enjoy old music testimonies.

The group’s concert activity has been intense from the beginning. They have toured the best concert halls in Spain: Auditorio Nacional de Música, Palau de la Música de Valencia, and Palau de la Música Catalana. Likewise, they have participated in numerous festivals,  such as Festival de Música Antiga (Barcelona), Madrid Cultural 1992 (with the recovery of the opera Los elementos by Antonio Literes), XXIV Festival de Teatro Clásico (Almagro), XVII Festival de Peralada, Quincena Musical Donostiarra, Los Veranos de la Villa (Madrid), Festival Grec (Barcelona), Festival Internacional de Música y Danza (Granada), and Festival de Música Religiosa (Cuenca).

But they are also active internationally, with tours in France, Belgium, Rumania, Portugal, Holland, Egypt, Italy, Germany, Morocco, the United Kingdom, Poland, Tunisia, Argentina, Brazil, the US, Mexico, Finland and Austria. 

Their study and recovery of ancient music can be enjoyed in the 31 discs recorded by EGT, Blau, Auvidis and CDM, Capella de Ministrers’ record label. All their works have been given awards by the specialised press and other prizes, like that of the Ministry of Culture to the best record and the prize of the Valencian Press.

Their work goes beyond sheer music, with forays into the staging arts: they have worked with directors like Àlex Rigola, Juli Leal, Vicent Genovés, Jaume Martorell, and Bigas Luna; choreographers like Santiago Sempere, and musicians from other disciplines like Joan Enric Lluna or Miguel Marín. The group has recovered the staged version of the Spanish operetta La madrileña by Vicente Martín y Soler, the first Spanish Oratorio Sacro, and have conducted a historic approach to the Misteri d’Elx. Their interpretation of the Cant de la Sibil·la was included in the sound track of the film Son de mar by Bigas Luna. This piece of work was the start of their cooperation with the Catalan filmmaker, who asked them to participate, in 2003, in his adaptation of Valle-Inclán’s Comedias bárbaras for the closing of the 2^nd Biennale of Valencia.

Universitat de València sponsors the research and dissemination activities of Capella de Ministrers and so wishes to join the celebrations of their 20^th anniversary with the exhibition “Tempus fugit. Photographic views”. The exhibition analyses the links between music and contemporary photography with proposals by artists like Mariela Apollonia, Susi Artal Sonia Díez, María Tortosa, and Ana Veintimilla.