CONTEMPORARY Music
RETROQUEST is a contemporary, indie-classical, electronica/ambient/instrumental album that combines processed guitar compositions with an everlasting vinyl noise, creating an ambiance that sounds experimental in an inviting manner. Each track consists a different form of treatment, some to create large environments while others to shine the simplistic end. Each effect processor directly fed by the guitar signal accentuates the versatile language of the electric guitar, even with its clenaest tone. It merges rather vintage, or retro sounding, sound effects with modern sonorities, while using timeless, hence evergreen harmonic structures, enigmatic chords, naive melodies, immense arpeggios, and it can be taken as a modern ambient abstract work of music.
Orchestral/Soundtrack
Tailored for D&D and RPG enthusiasts, “The Songbook of Tchinar Vol.3” invites listeners on a fantastical journey guided by tunes of a bard and her otherworldly violin-like instrument that has the power to evoke orchestras. With just two tracks, this release packs a punch: “Survivor’s Dance” kicks off with a fierce tune that’ll make the scariest monsters dance to their death, while “Bright is the Ring of Words”, a reflective ballad, captures the essence of heroic yet lament-like adventures, with a misty and nostalgic string section. Get ready to dive into an orchestral adventure that’s raw, direct, and perfectly suited for your next gaming session!
Medieval Music
OUD is the lightest, most peaceful, and most hopeful album coming out of CordaSonora. It is the perfect introduction to Medieval music, presented as a solo collection of songs arranged for the oud. Ricardo Alves Pereira and his almond-shaped instrument invites the audience to be the visitors of a medieval inn, protected from the fierce winter outside, while enjoying a bard in the corner making his music.
The album consists of 14 melodies of the Cantigas de Santa Maria, transcribed directly from the original manuscripts “Códice de los Músicos” and “Códice Rico”, two musical collections unparalleled for their beauty and richness, both attributed to King Alfonso X (1221-1284), and presented to the audience with arrangements done by Ricardo Alves Pereira for Turkish oud, a close relative to the iberian medieval lute seen in the illuminations of the manuscripts of Cantigas de Santa Maria.
Crafted with passion and inspired by the mystical medieval Iberia, this album is a labor of love. Meticulously detailed, it promises an immersive experience.
Three iconic melodies from the Cantigas de Santa Maria were released as singles during the album creation process. “Santa Maria amar” (CSM 7) is a sweet gem, “Por nos de dulta tirar” (CSM 18) is a meditative hymn, and “Virgen madre groriosa” ( CSM 340) is a celestial melody crowned with improvisations surrounding it.
Early Music/Medieval
Once again, the TWB Ensemble masterfully intertwines historical music interpretation with captivating storytelling, weaving an enchanting tapestry of sound that transports listeners to the heart of the Iberian medieval era and the mystical realm of Leyriath.
The sixth album by the TWB Ensemble (The Wandering Bard) is an exhilarating journey through sound, a musical marvel that breathes new life into the medieval Cantigas de Santa Maria, attributed to Alfonso X, the Wise, a visionary Iberian king of the 13th century. The album features musical arrangements crafted from this historical repertoire after years of dedicated research by the ensemble’s co-founders, Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira and Ricardo Alves Pereira. These rich melodies were meticulously transcribed from original manuscripts, including the renowned Códice de los Músicos. The commitment of these two pioneers to resurrect this invaluable Galician-Portuguese heritage resonates with every note.
In keeping with their cherished tradition, The Wandering Bard introduces a mesmerizing narrative on the album’s bonus track. Here, listeners are treated to an immersive firsthand experience of myths and legends from the Iberian Peninsula. These evocative tales have not only kindled the flames of inspiration for the musical arrangements spanning eleven tracks, but also gracefully thread beneath the narrative itself.
Contemporary Music/Classical Guitar
In his third solo classical guitar album Streams of Tranquility, Ricardo Alves Pereira explores the still and the beautiful. The immersive and modern melodies weave the album’s soundscape into the depths of calmness within the contemporary music scene. Aside from presenting his skills as a classical guitar player, in this album Ricardo Alves Pereira also shares his composer side with the audience; and it is fresh, intimate and inviting.
The album consists of 15 compositions, some dating back to 2010 and some composed only weeks before the album was recorded, all with a sound that has its roots in contemporary and classical music, but with Ricardo’s musical language inspired by many other genres as well, one can hear hints of other styles within his music.
Three singles from the album are released in advance to present the ambience experienced throughout the album composed by Ricado Alves Pereira. “Stardust” is an instrumental love song inspired by the thought that everything in our world, including ourselves, is made of stardust. “The Timeless I: Into Oblivion” fully envelops the listener with a feeling of endless adrifting. “Nocturnal Voices II: Nightwalker” is a musical expression of calm darkness and continuous wandering in the still night.
Early Music/Medieval
My Vielle and the Rest is a collection of 12th and 13th century songs, mainly but not only composed by troubadours and trouvairitz, presented as instrumental music in their most profound and most candlelit form. Only the bonus track is originally an instrumental piece found to be notated at a later century. The entire album is a duo between the instrument vielle and the silence, as hinted by the title. Each track is the result of a thorough research starting from the (if available multiple) manuscript/s, and a translation work that swims through Old Occitanian, Latin and other languages songs were originally written in, to get the essence of the song out without using the human voice. Perfomed by Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira on her instrument Venus the Vielle, an instrument funded by The Wandering Bard supporters and made specially for her by Orlando Trindade, this album is made to experience the silence, enjoy the darkness and cherish everything one finds within.
Three singles from the album “My Vielle and the Rest” were released during the album preparation. “Caritas abundat in omnia” by Hildegard von Bingen is a piece with a deep, dark and determined air, while Gaucélm Faiditz’s “Lo gens cors onratz” is an inviting, bittersweet and soothing musical wonder, followed by “Si ai perdut mon saber” by Ponç d’Ortafà, a melody so magical that it is uncertain what the audience can find in it regarding happiness or sadness.
Classical Guitar/Classical Music
“The Foundation” is the second solo guitar album of Ricardo Alves Pereira. It is a complete collection of works first published in 1836, known as the Introduction à l’Étude de la Guitare, Op.60, written by composer and virtuoso guitarist Fernando Sor, one of the most famous musicians of the classical and romantic era.
With this album Ricardo Alves Pereira recalls the beginning of his classical guitar journey, shares his connection to the learning process of his instrument and adds a personal touch to the repertory by titling them with the essential emotions and thoughts that can be sparked with each piece that builds the very foundation of any classical guitar player’s musical language.
Orchestral/Soundtrack
Started off as soundtracks for a podcast series, The Songbook of Tchinar volumes became the most personal and authentic outlet for Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira. Taking on the task of orchestrating each composition with a single violin and a viola and her own percussion instruments, Esin creates a majestic and striking musical environment suitable for storytelling and living in a fantasy world where magic doesn’t only live within.
In this volume of The Songbook of Tchinar, the audience is invited to yearn for more and get driven to dare.
EARLY MUSIC/RENAISSANCE
With the 5th album of TWB Ensemble, the audience can hear the eternal works of Claudio Monteverdi, Luis de Narvaez and Alonso Mudarra in a way that was never heard before. The majority of the repertoire was originally written for solo Vihuela; an Iberian plucked string instrument from the Renaissance Era, with an addition of the prologue being Italian Baroque; all of which TWB Ensemble executes with a historically informed style, yet in their own way.
After the success of their previous release, TWB Ensemble presents yet another legend from the “Manuscripts of Leyriath”, which can be experienced through the music from Renaissance Iberia, as well as listened in a storytelling style by the end of the album.
World Music/Irish
Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira presents her strong connection with Celtic music through her latest album “Rooted”. The album includes sets of high spirited and exuberant Irish folk tunes, sentient O’Carolan classics and some of her originals. Recorded with Colm Larkin on the Irish bouzouki and Ricardo Alves Pereira on the bodhran, the album sets ground for the audience to engage in centuries old yet still fresh traditional music.
The word ‘rooted’ means ‘worned out’, ‘ineradicable’ and ‘grounded’ at the same time and this album sits right in the middle of them since the title of the album represents the connection between the music and the people; Celtic and Irish folk music have been some of the most wide-spread styles of music around the globe. Because this music can make anyone feeling tired or worned out feel grounded and invincible once again, sparked by just the very first notes.
Throughout the tracks, a total of 35 tunes can be heard. Some well known jigs and reels, heartfelt ballads, some hidden gems and Esin’s own compositions blend together to warm our hearts; at times the fierce tunes with the non stop bodhran make us want to dance and at times the gentle tone of the violin and the bouzouki make us gaze through our sweet sad memories. Each track performed with loyalty to the genre, this album presents the authentic strengths of the Celtic music.
EARLY MUSIC/Medieval
TWB Ensemble’s 4th album is the first of many that will come as the result of a collaboration between the Leyriath Assemblage and the TWB Ensemble. “Leyriath: Of Music and Legends – Cantigas de Santa Maria (Alfonso X)” is released in order to celebrate te 800th year since the birth of King Alfonso X El Sabio. The musicians are celebrating this occasion by bringing the audience to the medieval times.
At the end of the album, a surprise awaits the audience, since it will be the first time one of the chapters of the “Manuscripts of Leyriath” will be heard embraced by the repertoire the ensemble performed during the album with a perfect balance of historical accuracy and authenticity.
After the success of their previous release, TWB Ensemble presents yet another legend from the “Manuscripts of Leyriath”, which can be experienced through the music from Renaissance Iberia, as well as listened in a storytelling style by the end of the album.
World Music/Swedish
Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira proves once again that her stylistic richness and self-sustainibilty can create an album full of enjoyment; wrapped up in historical and mythological research on the look out for Scandinavi folkloric authenticity.
Swedish folk tunes being one of the few styles that contain only a melody instrument in pairs, shows the potential of simplicity to its maximum. Fed by nomadic cultures, established in hard-to-leave lands, the sound of this music contains longing, mystery, mythology and fiersome dancebilty.
Orchestral/Soundtrack
Composed for an original TTRPG podcast show also produced by the CordaSonora team, these soundtracks are highly regarded by FRP players all across many a table tops.
Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira’s own compositions; orchestrated, played, and produced by herself, provide the DMs with the background music for their epic battle scenes, tearjerker moments of love and loss, and the mead smelling inns where campaigners find a moment to gamble, gossip or gloat.
Early Music/Renaissance
“Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived.” As the rhyme goes, each track of this album of TWB Ensemble focuses on one of the wives of King Henry VIII.
Formed around the narrative written by Ricardo Alves Pereira, In Good Company With King Henry VIII brings the audience to darker times, creates ground to explore raw emotions presented with the hauntingly beautiful sonorities of historically informed early music.
CROSS-OVER CLASSICAL/FOLK
With a very lighthearted yet careful approach to music from Purcell, Dowland and Hery VIII, TWB Ensemble modernizes the sound of the old days embedded in a narrative of a love story between a royal man and a singer.
In this cross-over classical music/folk album modern instruments are used; orchestrated pieces are narrowed down and one-line melodies are expanded to the ensemble’s sound, merging a very otherwise different group of pieces under one roof.
CROSS-OVER CLASSICAL/FOLK
A magical tale is told in this album; of a wandering bard in search of a healing lavender for the woman of his dreams, exploring mysteries of the land through well known gems of folk music.
As the story unfolds, the repertoire is presented as a standalone next to the narrative, tying up traditional classics like the Raggle Taggle Gypsies, Scarborough Fair and Died of Love together in a cross-over music environment, making it lovable for both folk and classical music audience.
Credits
The Songbook of Tchinar, Vol. 3
Compositions, arrangement, orchestra/percussion, solo violin: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira
Recorded@ CordaSonora Studios
Mix/Mastering: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereria
Artwork (illustration): G. Rizzo (nevyrmaster)
Artwork (coloring): Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira
Cover/Promotional design: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira
© 2024 CordaSonora
***
OUD
Oud: Ricardo Alves Pereira
Recorded@ CordaSonora Studios
Mix/Mastering: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira
Design: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira & Ricardo Alves Pereira
Photography: Antonio Filipe Casal
© 2023 CordaSonora
***
My Vielle and the Rest
Vielle: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira
Recorded@ CordaSonora Studios
Mix/Mastering: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereria
Photography: Ricardo Alves Pereira
Cover/Promotional design: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira
© 2022 CordaSonora
***
Streams of Tranquility
Classical guitar: Ricardo Alves Pereira
Recorded@ CordaSonora Studios
Mix/Mastering: Ricardo Alves Pereria
Photography: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira
Cover/Promotional design: Ricardo Alves Pereira
© 2022 CordaSonora
***
Leyriath: The Song of Lumino, Works by L.Narvaez & A.Mudarra
Narrative Written By: Ricardo Alves Pereira
Narration: Ricardo Alves Pereira
Arrangements: Ricardo Alves Pereira & Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira
Vielle: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira
Vihuela: Ricardo Alves Pereira
Percussion: Nina Loureiro
Recorded@ CordaSonora Studios
Mix/Mastering: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira & Ricardo Alves Pereira
Design: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira & Ricardo Alves Pereira
Promotional director: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira
Video footage: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira & Ricardo Alves Pereira
© 2022 CordaSonora
***
Leyriath: Of Music and Legends, Cantigas de Santa Maria (Alfonso X)
Narrative Written by: Ricardo Alves Pereira
Narration: Ricardo Alves Pereira
Arrangements: Ricardo Alves Pereira & Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira
Vielle: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira
Oud: Ricardo Alves Pereira
Percussion: Nina Loureiro
Recorded@ CordaSonora Studios
Mix/Mastering: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira & Ricardo Alves Pereira
Design: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira & Ricardo Alves Pereira
Promotional Director: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira
Photography/video: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira & Ricardo Alves Pereira
© 2021 CordaSonora
***
The Lady In Green
Narrative Written By: Ricardo Alves Pereira
Narration: Kat Carson
Arrangements: Ricardo Alves Pereira & TWB Ensemble
Singer: Kat Carson
Violin: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira
Guitar: Ricardo Alves Pereira
Bodhran: Adam Passingham
Recorded@ CordaSonora Studios Amsterdam
Mix: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira
Mastering: Metehan Kokturk
Assistant: Ricardo Alves Pereira
Design: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira & Ricardo Alves Pereira
© 2019 CordaSonora
***
The Wandering Bard – A Musical Narrative
Narrative Written By: Ricardo Alves Pereira
Narration: Kat Carson
Arrangements: Ricardo Alves Pereira & TWB Ensemble
Singer: Kat Carson
Violin: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira
Guitar: Ricardo Alves Pereira
Bodhran: Adam Passingham
Recorded@ CordaSonora Studios Amsterdam
Mix: Metehan Kokturk
Mastering: Metehan Kokturk & Adham Farid
Assistant: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira
Design: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira & Ricardo Alves Pereira
© 2018 CordaSonora
Leyriath: The Tale of Capricornus, Cantigas de Santa Maria (Alfonso X)
Narrative Written by: Ricardo Alves Pereira & Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira
Narration: Ricardo Alves Pereira
Arrangements: Ricardo Alves Pereira & Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira
Vielle: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira
Oud: Ricardo Alves Pereira
Percussion: Nina Loureiro
Recorded@ CordaSonora Studios
Mix/Mastering: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira & Ricardo Alves Pereira
Design: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira & Ricardo Alves Pereira
© 2023 CordaSonora
***
The Songbook of Tchinar, Vol. 2
Compositions, arrangement, orchestra/percussion, solo violin: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira
Recorded@ CordaSonora Studios
Mix/Mastering: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereria
Artwork: G. Rizzo (nevyrmaster)
Cover/Promotional design: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira
© 2022 CordaSonora
***
The Foundation
Classical guitar: Ricardo Alves Pereira
Recorded@ CordaSonora Studios
Mix/Mastering: Ricardo Alves Pereria
Album cover photography/Design: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira
Single covers’ design/Promotional director: Ricardo Alves Pereira
© 2022 CordaSonora
***
Rooted
Violin: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira
Irish Bouzouki: Colm Larkin
Bodhran: Ricardo Alves Pereira
Recorded@ CordaSonora Studios
Mix/Mastering: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira & Ricardo Alves Pereira
Design: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira & Ricardo Alves Pereira
Promotional director: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira
Photography: Ricardo Alves Pereira
© 2022 CordaSonora
***
No Strings Attached
Vielle: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira
Recorded@ CordaSonora Studios
Mix/Mastering: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira & Ricardo Alves Pereira
Cover Design: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira
Photography: Ricardo Alves Pereira
© 2021 CordaSonora
***
The Songbook of Tchinar Vol. 1
Compositions, arrangement, orchestra/percussion, solo violin: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira
Recorded@ CordaSonora Studios
Mix/Mastering: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereria
Artwork: Art by Biki
Cover Design: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira
© 2021 CordaSonora
***
In Good Company With King Henry VIII
Narrative Written By: Ricardo Alves Pereira
Narration: Kat Carson
Arrangements: Ricardo Alves Pereira & TWB Ensemble
Singer: Kat Carson
Vielle: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira
Oud: Ricardo Alves Pereira
Bodhran: Adam Passingham
Recorded@ CordaSonora Studios
Extra locations: Amsterdam, UK, Turkey
Mix: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira & Ricardo Alves Pereira
Mastering: Metehan Kokturk
Choir: Fiona Johnson, Esin Yardımlı Alves Pereira, Ricardo Alves Pereira, Pamela Vincent, Diana Grice, Lyn Thomas, Saskia Wesnigk-Wood, Annette Boyn, Freya Lyon, Bob Ahern, Isabel Martinez, Andrew Robinson, Mark Findlay, Andy Olive Tree, Bahadır Noyan Coşkun, Adam Passingham, Julian Carson
Design: Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira & Ricardo Alves Pereira
© 2021 CordaSonora