El Códice De Las Huelgas (S. XII-XIV)

The Codex Las Huelgas is a significant manuscript of late medieval polyphonic music, compiled at the Cistercian monastery of Santa María la Real de las Huelgas in Burgos, Spain. Created between the late 13th and early 14th centuries, the original manuscript served as a liturgical resource for the nuns of the abbey, preserving a rare intersection of French Ars Antiqua style and indigenous Spanish musical traditions. It remains one of the most important primary sources for understanding the musical practices of the period, particularly the development of the motet and conductus.

This specific recording, released by the Erato label under catalog number STU 70698, features a collaborative performance by the Coro de Monjas del Monasterio Cisterciense de Santa María la Real de las Huelgas and the Atrium Musicae de Madrid, directed by Gregorio Paniagua. The production was intended to capture the authentic acoustic and spiritual atmosphere of the original Cistercian environment. Upon its release, the album was widely praised by musicologists and early music enthusiasts for its commitment to historical performance practice and for bringing the esoteric, intricate beauty of the Codex to a wider modern audience.