Blast from the past doesn't begin to describe the raucous, danceable, feral-sounding music of Alfonso el Sabio (the Wise).

An enlightened ruler of the now-Spanish provinces of Castile and Leon in the 13th century, Alfonso attracted poets, scholars and musicians of Christian, Jewish and Islamic faiths. He also wrote (or took credit for) many songs, including the celebrated "Cantigas de Santa Maria," a feverish tribute to the Virgin Mary.

EMAIL THIS PRINT THIS MOST POPULAR
CLASSICAL • Dufay Collective "Music for Alfonso the Wise." Harmonia Mundi. 71 minutes. Grade: B

On this new CD, the Dufay Collective, a British troupe that turns ruined fragments of medieval music into a satisfying whole, plays music by troubadours of Alfonso's court. Only trouble is, while the poetry has survived, the music hasn't. So the Dufay musicians cheat a bit. They set the existing troubadour texts to "Cantigas" tunes — a compromise that only Alfonso fans will likely recognize.

The Dufay also includes "Cantigas de amigo," a song cycle by Galician troubadour Martin Codax from about 1230. Here the music and texts survive.

So while Codax's music is unrelated to Alfonso's court, it's possibly constructed in a similar style.

All 19 tracks of percussive, rough-hewn melodies are fascinating. Yet to modern ears — with our stereotypes of a lusty or gritty Mediterranean sound — the Dufay troupe sounds formal, pale and very Anglo.

Also out today

"Wreck of the Day," from Anna Nalick; "King of Rock and Roll: The Complete Reprise Recordings," a triple-disc set from Little Richard; "All That Remains" from Fozzy.