THE UNICORN ENSEMBLE

Alfons X (1221? - 1284), King of Castile and León, could
not look back on any big achievements as a politician -
yet as a patron of the sciences and fine arts he got the
epothet "el Sabio" (the sage). Alfons employed at his
court noteworthy Arabic, Jewish and Christian scientists.
The music at court was not only rendered by Christian
minstrels, but it was also proper to have it interpreted by
Arabic minstrels and danced by Oriental dancers. In this
manifold musical life, under Alfons´s cooperation and
direction, the collection Cantigas de Santa Maria with-
over 400 monophonic songs came into being. They have
come down to us in four splendid manuscripts, three of
them with notation, They are distinguished by the
beauty of their illuminations. There are representations
of the king sorrounded by scholars, and of minstrels
coming from all nations and cultures. The illuminations of
over 40 instruments give a unique survey of medieval
organology. Regarding the Cantigas de Santa Maria,
likewise written in the Galician-Portuguese language, we
have to differ between the Cantigas de miragre with
their legendary account of the miracles by the Virgin Mary
and the Cantigas de loor which are hymn-like, praising
the virtues of the Virgin in blooming words. Following a
severe structure, every tenth song forms a Cantiga de
loor, thus rousing the most heart-felt religious feelings -
a counter-balance to the Cantigas de miragre with their
partly rather trivial, amusing and exuberant stories.