La Gaya Sciencia, Book 1 (for piano)

The Gaya Sciencia, the science of the troubadours, was an annual festival established by the Crown of Aragon during the reigns of Joan I (1387-1395), Martí I (1396-1410) and Ferran d’ Antequera (1412-1416). Officers, nobles, soldiers, generous citizens and other people who loved the entertainment of the King’s Court, which consisted of dances, poetry recitals, musical performances with string and wind instruments, songs and other pastimes, attended this festival.

In the year 1388, King Joan sent an embassy to King Charles VI of France, a country with a deep-rooted troubadour tradition, asking permission to found an academy in the Crown of Aragon where the Gaya Sciencia would be taught. This is how he established a school in Barcelona aimed at teaching the fundamental precepts of Gaya Sciencia such as manners, gallantry, as well as speaking with wisdom and elegance.

In February 1393, King Joan I of Aragon decreed that the Gaya Sciencia festival be established in Valencia, every March, on the day of the Feast of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary or on the following Sunday. Two maintainers, the knight Jaume March and the citizen from Barcelona Lluís d’Aversó, ​​were the ones who had to judge the proposals that entered the competition and award a prize to the one that had the highest quality.

The 24 original piano pieces that make up the four books – flanked by an Entry Fanfare and a Farewell – pay tribute to the Gaya Sciencia through different updated musical proposals. Among the titles we distinguish dances, characters, songs, musical forms and others with a more poetic and evocative meaning.

1. Fanfàrria d’entrada / Entrance fanfare (3’15”  Glasgow, december 2020) YouTube

2. Lloança a Santa Maria / Praise of Holy Mary (3’25”  Vila-real, august 2023)

3. La Jota dels amics / The Jota of friends (2’25”  Glasgow, november 2020)  YouTube

4. Vent de les terres altes / Highland wind (3’12”  Glasgow, december 2020)  YouTube

5. Cançó de bressol / Lullaby (3’50”  Glasgow, november 2020) YouTube

6. A la manera de Carles Santos / In the way of Carles Santos (3’28”  Glasgow, august 2021) YouTube