Antonio Poves, Rota Mundi (Asociacion Cultural Erase Una Vez, 2002)

Rota Mundi means "Wheel Of The World." I can't help but wonder if that's also a metaphor for the friction wheel on Antonio Poves' zanfona (hurdy-gurdy). The musical selections are either Early Music or originals that sound like Early Music, and most feature the zanfona or its medieval cousin (and forerunner), the organistrum.

When is the last time you heard an organistrum? Likely never; less than half a dozen are in existence. Imagine a hurdy-gurdy so big that it takes two people to play it; one turns the wheel, and the other pulls the keys to stop the various notes. The sound is much like a hurdy-gurdy, but darker and grittier. It's a rare treat to get to hear one on this disc; too bad it only appears on two cuts. Poves plays nyckelharpa on one song, giving a sound similar to, but more delicate than, his zanfona, and on another track, he plays some quiet, passion-filled guitar.

Poves is joined by an able crew of musicians. Two of these, in particular, stand out. Manuel Waldesco Balaguer-Cortes plays whistles and recorder, providing melodies, descants, and counterpoints, and also adds some punchy Jew's harp on a couple of pieces. Zulaima Boheto's cello gives depth and guts to the whole. It rarely plays a simple bass line; more often it plays mirrors the melody line, only an octave lower, and frequently ornamented.

The vocal pieces appear mostly to be early Catholic hymns and feature stark, powerful harmonies. The one exception is a Yemenite Jewish song sung unaccompanied by Celia Carballo. The opening cut begins with an oration by Balaguer-Cortes which sounds as though he's speaking from the pulpit.

This recording will appeal to fans of Early Music, Spanish music, and the hurdy-gurdy. I do think, however, that Poves shorted his listeners of opportunities to hear a rarely-heard instrument by not including more tracks using the organistrum. Hopefully, that will be remedied in future recordings

[Tim Hoke]

Antonio Poves' Web site contains several pictures of organistra, as well as a brief history. More information on the organistrum and it's evolution into the hurdy-gurdy can be found here , and more pictures can be seen here. Poves' website is in Spanish, and the second Web site mentioned is in Italian. If, like me, you aren't proficient in these languages, you might want to use a translator such as Babelfish.