Arts & Events

A tireless researcher of early music from many countries and cultures, Jordi Savall is the true ambassador to world music that Yo-Yo Ma arrogantly thinks is his rightful position. Sorry, Yo-Yo, you take a back seat to Jordi Savall, and for that matter to many others, all of whom bring far more passion and dedication to their music than you do. You, Yo-Yo Ma, are only the ambassador to music’s wealthy patrons; whereas Jordi Savall is without doubt the people’s ambassador to world music, especially early music from around the globe.

On Thursday evening, May 3, San Francisco Performances brought Jordi Savall to Herbst Theatre for a concert of Celtic music. Featured alongside Jordi Savall was Carlos Núñez, one of the world’s top performers on bagpipes from his native Galicia in Northwestern Spain. A charismatic performer, Carlos Núñez opened this concert by marching slowly down the aisles of Herbst Theatre playing an air on his bagpipes. When he reached the stage, Carlos Núñez launched into an extended improvisation on bagpipes that, to me, sounded for all the world like John Coltrane’s famous improvisations on soprano saxophone on “My Favorite Things.” Believe me, that’s no small tribute! Likening Carlos Núñez on bagpipes to John Coltrane on soprano saxophone may be a surprising rapprochement, but if you have recordings of each musician, play them back to back and you’ll hear what I mean. 

Rounding out the instrumental ensemble for this concert were Pancho Álvarez on Viola Caipira (a Brazilian guitar of Baroque origin), Andrew-Lawrence King on Irish Harp and Psalterium, Frank McGuire on Bodhrán, and Xurxo Núñez on Percussions. Jordi Savall played either Treble Viol or Bass Viol. When introducing the latter instrument, Savall pointed out that its low register imitated quite clearly the low register of bagpipes, and he demonstrated this effect on his bass viol. As for Carlos Núñez, when he wasn’t playing bagpipes he played various recorders and small pastoral pipes, and even an ocarina. Carlos Núñez also related to the audience the wonderful experience this group recently had of performing in the pilgrimage cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. The first half of this Herbst Theatre program was devoted to Celtic music from Galicia, Ireland, and Scotland. Often, the treble viol of Jordi Savall echoed the recorder melodies played by Carlos Núñe. 

After intermission, the group returned to the stage to perform more Irish and Scottish music, then performed three pieces featuring Andrew-Lawrence King on either Irish Harp or Psalterium. King was accompanied only by percussionist Xurxo Núñez and Frank McGuire on Bodhrán. Following these pieces, the group performed works from Celtic lands from the Basque country to Brittany (Bretagne, in French). Particularly sweet was a Basque lullaby. The final piece in this series featured Carlos Núñez on ocarina. 

Rounding out the program were songs evoking Irish landscapes, capped by a rousing jig called “Morrison’s Jig,” with Carlos Núñez featured on bagpipes. Responding to tumultuous applause from the audience, the group performed two lively encores. What an exhilarating concert this was! Thank you, Jordi Savall and Carlos Núñez, who co-conceived this illuminating program of Celtic music!