Form: Oral Tradition?
Era: Ancient (Pre-500)
Score: 81.5
Why this recording: Someone said it was a legit academic effort to recreate oral tradition of old testament.
Thoughts:
I haven't looked into to see if anyone is calling bunk on this, but pretty interesting if true. "Finally" a glimpse into what the Hebrew bible oral tradition could've sounded like. Revealing ancient humanity - the beginnings if you will - Anthropology and the such.
The music itself brings a whole new respect of the old testament for me. Oral tradition was just a concept until I heard this. It really brought it to life and is worth at least a single listen, religious or not.
Also very interesting there's 20 different "notes"... wondering how that translates? Does it match our modes or are they completely different?
Some scholars disagree/can only confirm conjecture.
Form: Lieder
Era: Ars Antiqua/Liturgical Drama (1100s)
Score: 82.9
Why this recording: http://www.medieval.org and I thought another record for her was in order.
Thoughts:
Her connection with the "greater good" is evident in everything I've heard of hers. Even though there's a lot of music from this time that is beautiful, somehow I'm immediately transcended when listening to what I've heard so far of hers. Her melismatic runs seem to have purpose. I rarely am looking at meaning from these songs - rather the beautiful melody/drones etc. I just end up staring into space and time. Beautiful.
About the album:
Canticles of Ecstasy is an album of sacred vocal music written in the 12th century by the German abbess Hildegard of Bingen and recorded by the early music ensemble Sequentia that was released by the Deutsche Harmonia Mundi recording label in 1993.
The album is one of a series of recordings of the complete musical works of Hildegard by the early medieval music specialists and founders of Sequentia, Barbara Thornton and her husband Benjamin Bagby.
It was recorded between 16 and 21 June 1993 in the church of St. Pantaleon, Cologne, Germany, "at the sarcophagus of the Empress Theophanu".
The music is from a medieval manuscript written at Hildegard's abbey and the Latin texts are from Hildegard von Bingen, Lieder.
Oh trust me - I probably only knew 10% of pre-Baroque music before I started digging into it.
Also thanks for reminding me to try and find ancient music as part of my discovery process even if most musicologists skip over that time period. Found 3 decent albums and learned a lot from them.
I've been listening to stuff out of order... oh well... I suppose as long as it's within the same area of study and I don't move on to Wagner right now...
Form: Ars Subtilior
Era: Ancient (Pre-500)
Score: (not sure yet)
Why this recording: Google and Chantilly Codex
Thoughts:
This actually was much more accessible than the previous recording and not for a lack of extreme creativity. I think the arrangements not all being vocal make a huge difference. This is with 3 voices, but 2 of them are instrumentation. It claims to be legit Chantilly Codex (codification of all things Ars Subtilior). I think separating them out into more unique voices makes it more intriguing and palpable. I think they say a truly good musician can make really complex things sound pleasant and easy, and I think that's what I like about this interpretation of the Chantilly Codex/Ars Subtilior music. It was actually quite beautiful.
Also for those that missed my first Ars Subtilior post, here's some samples of not only musically being on the higher end of creativity, but also with the actual notation:
A "never ending" round... I teased earlier and made the connection between this and other experimental music of our day and compared it to a tape loop.
Other creative forms of notation. Note this is different than illuminated notation, which is easy to read, but also decorative.
RoundTheBendI miss the comfort in being sadProfile Ground Control
Form: Organum
Era: 1100-1200
Score: 80.1
Why this recording: The French basically invented it - wanted to get an English take as well.
Thoughts:
Anna Mater Matris Christi (John Plummer) was absolutely beautiful. Sometimes this music is a bit purposefully complex in a slightly showy way, and this piece somehow married Organum with a very beautiful/not forced and properly spaced melody and parts. Instead of a math problem it was just beauty.
I'm glad I got a listen from an English perspective, but all in all, Organum/vocal music can be absolutely beautiful at times and at other times I just end up tuning out (and not in a transcendent way). I think the less it's a math problem (a study in intervals) and the more it ties with humanity/beauty/natural aesthetic, it's actually some of the most beautiful/compelling/other-worldly music ever written.
At times it was helpful to be in a language I understood, but all in all, that's the last thing I evaluate/pay attention to in music, regardless of the time period.
"Mervele noght, Josep, on Mary mylde;
Forsake hyr not tho she be with childe.
Mervele noght, Josep, on Mary mylde;
Forsake hyr not tho she be with childe."
1. "I, Josep, wonder how hit may be,
I, Josep, wonder how hit may be,
That Mary wex gret when Y and she
Ever have levyd in chastite;
Iff she be with chylde, hit ys not by me."
"Mervell not, Joseph,
Mervell not, Joseph.
2. The holy gost, with mercifull disstens,
In here hathe entryd wythowte offens,
God and man conceyved by hys presens,
An[d] she virgyn pure wythowte violens.
Mervelle not, Joseph."
3. "What the angell of God to me dothe say,
I, Joseph, muste and wille umble obay,
Ellys prively y wolde have stole away,
But now wille y serve here tille that Y day."
"Mervelle not, Josep.
4. Josep, thow shalt here mayde and moder fynde,
Here Sone redemptor of alle mankynde,
Thy forefaderes of paynes to unbynde;
Therefor muse not this mater in thy mynde.
Mervelle not."
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Form: Chant
Era: 1100-1200
Score: 81
Why this recording: Sequentia has always been solid. More Hildgard-like music
Thoughts:
This performance is fantastic. Sequentia has yet to disappoint.
Here's a remaining bit of the music from Samson dux fortissime (one of the most popular works of the time). The song seemed to permeate much of Europe.
I especially like the tracks with accompaniment, even if simple. The 5th track was interesting - it was like a conversation back and forth between voice and instrument.
I feel like the difference between this and some other vocal music, is their movement on the notes isn't strictly math, but with emotion and with conviction. Sometimes the music is really a math problem more or less. I didn't feel that way with any of the works on this album. Likely the time period. Likely Sequentia's way to interpret the work and deliver a proper performance.
Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.
RoundTheBendI miss the comfort in being sadProfile Ground Control
Here's the top 10 so far:
Choral Settings Of Kassiani
Hildegard Von Bingen: Ordo Virtutum
Magna Melodia - Medieval Music From The Time Of The Magna Carta
Hildegard Von Bingen: Canticles Of Ecstasy
Music For A Medieval Prince
Music From Ancient Rome: Volume 1 - Wind Instruments
Walther Von Der Vogelweide: Lieder Von Macht & Liebe
Music Of The Gothic Era
Alfonso X El Sabio: Cantigas De Santa Maria
The Unknown Lover: Songs By Solage And Machaut
"only" 68 more albums until the Baroque.
RoundTheBendI miss the comfort in being sadProfile Ground Control
Form: Ars Subtilior
Era: 1350-1400
Score: 80.5 (for both)
Why this recording: 3 part work covering the Chantilly Codex (Ars Subtilior)
Thoughts:
There were some really cool motet stuff going on here, where the typical motet would have a voice, and then a voice that follows it - but in a couple of the pieces, it was 3 voices - the primary, the secondary, and then the tertiary seamlessly cut into the secondary. Pretty cool.
A few tracks stood out over these two albums. I was driving while listening to them, so I couldn't take note which. Overall a strong listen and glad I did, but in the end it didn't speak to my soul.
Most of the tracks had interesting musical ideas, but most of it suffered from complexity for the sake of complexity. From the wiki: The term "mannerism" was applied by later scholars, as it often is, in response to an impression of sophistication being practised for its own sake, a malady which some authors have felt infected the Ars subtilior.
Apparently at times the terms mannerism and ars subtilior are synonomous.
RoundTheBendI miss the comfort in being sadProfile Ground Control
Form: Pilgrim music (well literally, but really just a mix of music from 14th century Spain used in pilgrimages)
Era: 1300-1325
Score: 85
Why this recording: Medieval.org
There are several large manuscripts of Spanish music from this era, and they have become rather popular today. Especially notable are the Cantigas de Santa Maria and the sources associated with the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Spanish music of the period often provides an interesting mix of sacred and secular elements within the same piece. A few recordings among a large number of possibilities.Pickett chose pieces from various manuscripts (MS): Las Huelgas, Escorial, Codex Calixtinus and Martim Codax MSs.
Thoughts:
I think exactly 3:19 of the two hours was boring. This was quite possibly top 3 material so far. I'm very curious of how much of this is interpretation vs what's written. Nonetheless, I literally felt I was on this journey/pilgramage and it was fantastic. I also liked the mix of secular and religious work. Intriguing orchestration and music for sure. Very old music came alive in this recording.
I suppose the only negative is nothing stood out as amazing, even if the 97% of the entire work was great.
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