Specialised journals have acclaimed the work in the following terms:

‘José Palomino (…) appears to us in this recording as one of the most interesting chamber-music composers of Spain during the Age of Enlightenment (…) Palomino’s compositions, which shine just as brightly as any others from the same period in Europe (…) works of astonishing beauty and solid chamber-music composition (…) El Afecto Ilustrado (…) offers a brilliant reading of the quintets, with a highly compact and balanced sound, rich in hues and highly articulated, with a sense of rhythm (…)’..

Andrés Moreno Mengíbar, Scherzo

‘Led by Adrián Linares, the ensemble hits the mark in the undertaking, dedicating this double album to the unfamiliar figure of José Palomino de la Quintana (1753-1810), one of the forefathers in Spain of the musical trend in vogue in Europe during the Age of Enlightenment. A decade of professional experience as an ensemble has earned this group a place in GEMA Association as well as the 2020 Premio Excellens de Música award, which went to concert musician Linares, an endorsement of the excellence of his interpretations and of his research (…) With the utmost care and inspiration, Linares’ ensemble has provided with this recording two hours of enjoyment of these inventive quintets, full of embellishments, textures and abundant musical and acoustic mastery (…) the Canarian ensemble delivers what it promises in this excellent collection dedicated to the Count and to refined taste, which will undoubtedly take listeners to the highest peaks of 18th-century aristocracy’
Carlos García Reche, Melómano digital

José Palomino de la Quintana was born in Madrid in 1753 in a family with close ties to the world of music and theatre. Initially studying with his father and subsequently with Antonio Rodríguez de Hita, chapel master of the Royal Monastery of La Encarnación in Madrid, he went on to become an acclaimed violinist after passing an examination at the Royal Chapel of Madrid in 1770.

In 1773, he sought permission to leave his post to reside in Lisbon, and in 1774, he was appointed violinist of the Royal Chapel in the Portuguese capital, a position he held until 1807. This instrumental formation would become very well-known during its time for uniting an illustrious selection of the best musicians in Europe.

José Palomino became famous not only as an instrumentalist in the Portuguese capital but as a composer. This pre-eminence in the musical and cultural life of the Portuguese court put the composer in contact with Carlos José Gutiérrez de los Ríos, 6th Count of Fernán Núñez and Spain’s ambassador to Portugal between 1778 and 1786. As a result of his relationship with the Spanish aristocrat, Palomino composed his string quintets with two violas, along with other influential works, such as the serenade titled Il ritorno di Astrea in Terra, composed for the celebration in 1785 of the marriages of Infante Gabriel of Spain and Infanta Mariana Vitória of Portugal and Carlota Joaquina of Spain and John VI of Portugal, Prince of Brazil.

In the early 19th century, the figure of José Palomino was so well established in the musical and cultural context of the court that, in addition to his position as violinist, his functions included the composition of works commissioned by the royal household, the overseeing and organisation of repertoires and programmes and the handling of requests for musical copies. His brother, Pedro Palomino, who had worked with their father, Mariano Palomino, since 1790 in the chapel of the Cathedral of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, had already disseminated the music of his brother, José, throughout the archipelago. Without a doubt, his brother José had a say in his appointment as the next chapel master of the Cathedral of Santa Ana in the island’s capital. Hence, when the French invaded Portugal in 1807 and the Portuguese royal family was exiled to Brazil, José Palomino embarked on a journey to Gran Canaria, stopping first in Cádiz and reaching the island in 1808. He travelled in the company of the brothers Joaquín and Manuel Núñez, violinist and cellist, respectively; the latter was also Palomino’s son-in-law.

After settling in the capital as the new chapel master of the Cathedral of Las Palmas, he undertook a series of reforms for the purpose of optimising the production of the chapel of what was at the time the Cathedral of the Canary Islands. The chapel’s deficient workforce was then restructured and maximised by updating its style and configuration. Palomino knew how to deal with the economic crisis that began to affect the archipelago towards the end of the 18th century. In this context, he composed a significant number of religious pieces that reflect the quality that had characterised his work during the time he spent in Portugal.

In poor health since his stay in Cádiz, José Palomino died in 1810 in Gran Canaria, and his music was very popular on the island for many years afterwards. His musical output is characterised by its wide range of genres: from chamber and sacred music to works strictly related to theatre. It must be noted that his experience as a composer of popular songs for the theatre in Spain—a genre held in high esteem by society at that time—provided him with ample preparation to become a prolific composer of modinhas. Given that he was also a highly skilled interpreter, his chamber music and even his sacred music clearly demonstrate his familiarity with the style and aesthetics that had arrived in the Iberian Peninsula from Central Europe.