El Fenix de Paris

Luis de Briceño's arrival in France was marked by a wave of enthusiasm. The Spaniard was at the
heart of a polemic that questioned the supremacy of the lute, an instrument cherished by French
music lovers of the beginning of the 17th century. Our rekindled interest lies not in this controversy but
in the beauty of Briceño's compositions and the freedom they offer the musicians who play them. This
man of incisive wit and character, nicknamed « El Fenix de Paris », once said about the polemic he
caused:
« Todos se burlan de mi y yo me burlo de todos, porque si me llaman asno ellos son neçios y
tontos… » « Everyone makes fun of me and I make fun of everyone, because they call me a donkey
they are crazy and foolish idiots… »

On this album discover le Poème Harmonique in a repertoire bearing the marked touch of popular
Spanish music, accompanied by the delightful song of Isabelle Druet and Claire Lefilliâtre.