Hildegard von Bingen - O Jerusalem

Hildegard von Bingen - O Jerusalem
A dedication ceremony of symphoniae
Sequentia - Benjamin Bagby & Barbara Thornton, dirs
Deutsche Harmonia Mundi (BMG) 05472 77353 2

Contents:

    Symphoniae to Saint Rupert

    Hildegard von Bingen, Dendermonde St. Peters & Paulusabdij, ms. Codex 9 & Hessische Landesbibliothek, HS. 2 (aka Rupertsberger "Riesenkodex"):
  1. Sequence to St. Rupert: O Ierusalem
  2. Antiphon to St. Rupert: Quia felix pueritia - Magnificat - Quia felix pueritia
  3. Antiphon to St. Rupert: O felix apparitio
  4. O beatissime Ruperte
  5. Consecratio Virginum: the mystical marriage

    Realization Elizabeth Gaver
  6. Instrumental piece

  7. Hildegard von Bingen
  8. Antiphon and Versicle to Maria: O tu illustrata
  9. Antiphon to Maria: Cum erubuerint
  10. The Sacred Wedding

  11. O frondens virga - Gloria patri
    Hymn: Ave generosa
  12. Antiphon to Maria: O quam preciosa
  13. Hildegard's relationship to men of the spirit

  14. Hymn to Holy Spirit: O ignee spiritus
  15. Instrumental piece
  16. Antiphon to Maria: O quam, magnam miraculam est

Playing time: 67' 30"

Performers: Sequentia, Ensemble für Musik des Mittelalters
Vox feminae: Barbara Thornton (voice), Gundula Anders (voice), Pamela Dellal (voice), Elizabeth Glen (voice), Heather Knuthson (voice), Nancy Mayer (voice), Lucia Pahn (voice), Consuelo Sañudo (voice), Carol Schlaikjer (voice), Janet Youngdahl (voice)
Barbara Thornton, dir.
Sons of Thunder: Benjamin Bagby (voice), Stephen Grant (voice), Peter Halpern (voice), Eric Mentzel (voice), Peter Schmitz (voice), Bernhard Schneider (voice)
Benjamin Bagby, dir.
Instrumental ensemble: Elizabeth Gaver (Medieval fiddles), Benjamin Bagby (Medieval harp, portative organ, organistrum), Na'ama Lion (Medieval flute)
Elizabeth Gaver, dir.
Barbara Thornton & Benjamin Bagby, dirs.

Recording site and date: St. Pantaleon, Köln, Germany [10/1995]
Kunigundenglocke und Heinrichsglocke des Bamberger Dom [10/1996];
Rel.: 1997

Other releases: It is the third release in a serie of recording of symphoniae; previous to that serie, Sequentia recorded Hildegard on two occasions. For further references on Hildegard's recording, refer to the FAQ.

Excerpts:
[1], [5] RCA "Red Seals" 82876 60986 2 [CDx4] Trésors - Moyen-Âge

Reviewed in:
Gramophone (Vol./#-p.): 75/892-100 (sept. 1997)
Diapason (#-p.): 438-68 (june 1997)
Fanfare ( #-p): 21/1-200 (sep./oct. 1997)

Comments:
Information from owned recording. It won a Diapason d'or in the June 1997 edition of Diapason. The recording deserves it; the interpetation is powerful, divinely inspired; a very good choice between the rather iconoclastic performance of Pérès and the meditational/New Age performances such as the one by Norma Gentile, soprano. Other good choices would be by Schola der Benediktinerinnenabtei St. Hildegard on Bayer Recording or on Ars Musici AM 0942-2.

To purchasing information for this disc.

To FAQ references to this recording.

To FAQ CD index page.

Pierre-F. Roberge