Misteris del Corpus

Capella de Ministrers, Magraner, Carles

CDM 2559

Soundscape of the Corpus Christi procession in Valencia (17th–18th centuries).

The Feast of Corpus Christi, established in 1264 by Pope Urban IV, became one of Valencia’s most important and magnificent celebrations. Its origins are tied to a Eucharistic miracle that occurred in Valencian territory—the Miracle of the Corporals of Llutxent-Daroca around 1239. This connection helped Valencia become one of the first cities in the Iberian Peninsula to organize a general Corpus Christi procession, beginning in 1355.

By the 17th century, the celebration had evolved into a grand public spectacle, rich in music, theatre, and ritual. On the eve of the feast, a parade called the Cavalcada del Convit invited the populace to participate, while the afternoon featured traditional religious theatre in Valencian (els Misteris) and choreographed dances commissioned for the procession.

The main procession was a stunning display involving the whole of Valencian society—from guilds to the highest civic, royal, and ecclesiastical authorities. A rich musical tapestry accompanied every step: folk instruments like the dolçainaand tabal, dramatic theatre music, ceremonial city bands, plainchant from clergy, and elaborate polyphony performed by the Cathedral’s chapel.

In 1672, municipal musician Josep Gomar compiled a manuscript preserving the texts and music of these plays and rituals. Today, this music offers a rare glimpse into the soundscape of baroque Valencia. This concert brings those sounds back to life, allowing audiences to relive the awe and splendor of the city’s most cherished feast.

Imagine yourself on a Valencian street in the late 1600s, watching and hearing the vibrant procession pass by—an unforgettable journey into the soul of a city's tradition.

Works:

•Carles Magraner, Tradicional: Repic de campanes i fanfàrria
• Anonymous: Misteri de sant Christòfol
• Anonymous: Misteri d’Adam i Eva. Roca de la Santíssima Trinitat
• Tradicional: Dansa de la Moma. Roca de la Diablera o de Plutó
• Tradicional: El lauro duplicado. Roca de la Puríssima Concepció
• Tradicional: Pas dels gegants
• Tradicional: Dansa dels nanos
• Anonymous: Marxa de la Ciutat
• Anonymous: Verbum supernun prodiens
• Diego Fernández de Huete: Dansa valenciana
• Anonymous: Sacris solemnis
• Anonymous: Morisca
• Diego Fernández de Huete: Pasacalles de octavo de chirimías a proporzión
• Francisco Guerau: Passacalles
• Anonymous: Representació de l’apocalipsi de sant Joan
• Tomás Luis de Victoria: Pange lingua more hispano

CD x 1

Capella de Ministrers

1.09.2025

8216116225592