Torre Del Oro [CD], Christina Pluhar / L'arpegiatta, CD

In the Renaissance and Baroque eras Seville, already a cultural melting pot, became Spain's principal port for the routes to South America. Named after the twelve-sided 'golden' tower that dominates the River Guadilquivir in Seville, La Torre del Oro, is the latest album from Christina Pluhar's ensemble L'Arpeggiata. Tracing and mixing the musical cross-currents that run between Spain and Central and South America - Mexico, Venezuela, Argentina and Chile - it takes the 1500s as the starting point for a captivating journey that reaches the modern day. For La Torre del Oro singers Céline Scheen, Luciana Mancini and Vincenzo Capezzuto join the 13 instrumentalists of L'Arpeggiata, led by Christina Pluhar on the theorbo. Among the other instruments to be heard are baroque guitar and harp, Venezuelan cuatro and harp, cornetto, harpsichord, accordion and maracas.