Hesperion XXI, Jordi Savall - Hispania & Japan Dialogues (2011)

The old saying of "Oh East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet" may have been written by Rudjard Kipling in reference to India and the West, but it's often been quoted by those wishing to stress the impossibility of us ever finding common ground with anybody East of Europe. However, Jordi Savall and the collection of Japanese and Spanish musicians he's gathered around him prove the lie in that statement over and over again with Hispania & Japan: Dialogues. For instead of looking at cultural differences as some sort of impenetrable barrier they have seen how they actually complement each other to help form a more complete picture of the world in which we live. So not only have they created some beautiful music, they offer a timely reminder that differences aren't something to worry about but rather something to celebrate. -- Richard Marcus