Jordi Savall in concert
at the Maison symphonique
Canadian Premiere of Songs, Battles and Dances of the Old and New World (1100–1780)
April 15, 2026
A leading figure in early music and large-scale historical concert projects, Jordi Savall returns to Montreal with a major new program, Songs, Battles and Dances of the Old and New World (1100–1780), presented in its Canadian premiere by Traquen’Art at the Maison symphonique on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at 8 pm.
Moving between sorrow and hope, war and peace, this journey brings together the intertwined memories of Europe, Africa and the Americas.
Forced to rethink his North American tour because of visa restrictions affecting some international artists, the Catalan maestro now offers Montreal a reimagined version of his original ambitious project, Un mar de músicas 1440–1880, devoted to the routes of slavery in the Caribbean. Without losing any of its artistic power or historical depth, the program has been transformed and broadened: it now spans seven centuries, from the Middle Ages to the eighteenth century, in an expansive musical dialogue between the Old and New Worlds.
A journey through seven centuries of music and memory
From Marcabru to Josquin des Prés, from Juan García de Zéspedes to Gaspar Fernandes, from medieval anonymous works to Renaissance and Baroque composers, Savall weaves a tapestry where sacred songs, courtly music, instrumental pieces, popular dances, repertoires of the African diaspora, Indigenous melodies and Sephardic traditions meet. Here, music becomes an act of faith, a cry of revolt, a space of consolation and resistance.
Moving between sorrow and hope, war and peace, this journey brings together the intertwined memories of Europe, Africa and the Americas. It reveals music as a language of memory and transmission, capable of evoking the wounds of history while celebrating the resilience and creativity born of encounters—sometimes tragic—between peoples. “This reworked program is also very compelling and includes many beautiful new pieces,” notes Jordi Savall.
An exceptional international ensemble
To bring this sweeping fresco to life, Jordi Savall is joined on stage by more than twenty artists. His ensembles La Capella Reial de Catalunya and Hespèrion XXI form the core of the project, joined by guest artists from Canada, Guadeloupe and Mexico. Among them are Canadian singer Neema Bickersteth, performing slave songs of African-American origin, Guadeloupean baritone and dancer Yannis François, and Mexico’s Tembembe Ensamble Continuo, which creates a dialogue between early European instruments and Latin American popular traditions.
‘This is a not-to-be-missed event for anyone wishing to experience, for one evening, a deeply moving immersion into seven centuries of history and music.’
Carried by the voices of Anna Piroli, Maëlys Robinne, David Sagastume, Víctor Sordo, Lluís Vilamajó and Pieter, and by the musicians of Hespèrion XXI (on flutes, cornetto, viola da gamba, theorbo, baroque harp, percussion and more), this evening promises to be a rare experience, both musical and spiritual.
In the wake of The Routes of Slavery
With Songs, Battles and Dances of the Old and New World (1100–1780), Savall continues the work begun with The Routes of Slavery 1444–1888, a vast historical fresco presented in its North American premiere in Montreal in 2017 as part of Traquen’Art’s Special Events series. That concert, which left a deep impression on both the audience and the critics, finds renewed echo here: a musical meditation on memory, forced displacement, cultural exchanges, and the power of music to bring histories into dialogue.
‘The program spans seven centuries of history, from the Middle Ages to the eighteenth century, in a wide-ranging musical dialogue between the Old and New Worlds.’
This is a not-to-be-missed event for anyone wishing to experience, for one evening, a deeply moving immersion into seven centuries of history and music.
Traquen’Art presents Jordi Savall
Songs, Battles and Dances of the Old and New World (1100–1780)
Maison symphonique | Place des Arts
Saturday, April 18, 2026 at 8 pm.
Box Office – Place des Arts
514 842-2112 • 1 866 842-2112
1600 Saint-Urbain Street
Images: Toni Peñarroya – Courtesy of Traquen’Art
