Musique et poésie à Saint-Gall

Musique et poésie à Saint-Gall
Séquences et tropes du IXe siècle
Ensemble Gilles Binchois - Dominique Vellard
Harmonia Mundi "Documenta" HMC 905239 [CD]
Glossa GCD 922503 [CD]

Contents:

    Gallus

  1. Alleluia. Iustus ut palma
  2. Notker: Séquence - Dilecte Deo
  3. Nativitas

  4. Tropes pour l'introït -
    1. Puer natus est
    2. Tuotilo: Hodie cantandus est
    3. Hodie natus est
  5. Alleluia. Dies sanctificatus
  6. Notker: Séquence - Natus ante saecula
  7. Tropes pour la communion -
    1. Viderunt omnes
    2. Tuotilo?: Hodie pectore mundo
    3. Cernere quod
  8. Johannes Evangelista

  9. Tropes pour l'introït -
    1. In medio ecclesiae
    2. Notker?: Dilectus iste
    3. Tuotilo: Quoniam dominus
    4. Os tuum inquiens
    5. Milibus argenti
  10. Innocentes

  11. Notker: Séquence - Laus tibi Christe
  12. Epiphania

  13. Tropes pour l'introït -
    1. Ecce advenit
    2. Hodie clarissimam
    3. Notker?: Forma speciosissimus
    4. Olim quem
  14. Versus ad processionem in diebus dominicis

  15. Ratpert: Versus - Ardua spes mundi
  16. Pascha

  17. Tropes pour l'offertoire -
    1. Terra tremuit
    2. Tuotilo: Gaudete et cantate
    3. Monumenta aperta sunt
    4. Notus est dominus
    5. In pace factus est
  18. Dominica IV post octavam pascham

  19. Notker: Séquence - Laeta mente
  20. Ascensio

  21. Tropes pour l'introït -
    1. Viri Galilei
    2. Notker?: Ex numero frequentium
    3. Quasi quid
  22. Alleluia. Dominus in Sina
  23. Offertoire - Vir Galilei
  24. Pentecostes

  25. Alleluia, Spiritus Domini
  26. Notker: Séquence - Sancti Spiritus

Musicological collaboration: Wulf Arlt

Performers: Raphaël Boulay (tenor), Gerd Türk (tenor), Dominique Vellard (tenor), Emmanuel Bonnardot (baritone), Jacques Bona (bass), Stephen Grant (bass)

Playing time: 59'

Recording date and site:
Église de Romainmôtier, Vaud, Switzerland [04/1996];
Rel.: 1996 (HM), 2010 (Glossa)

The tropes & sequences of the ninth century represent one of the first bursts of poetic creativity to supplement the Gregorian repertory after its universal declaration by Charlemagne. Much of this early activity is credited to the monastery of Saint-Gall on Lake Constance, propagating from there throughout Europe. This program illustrates some of these surviving chants.

One of the most famous musical figures of the era was Notker of St. Gall (c.840-912), who completed a famous collection of sequences in 884. According to legend, this is the origin of the form. Other composers represented here are Tuotilo (d.c.913) and Ratpert (d.c.890).

These manuscripts also represent a new level of detail in chant notation, the St. Gall neumes. As always with these performers, the repertory has been scrupulously reconstructed and sung convincingly.

A more recent recording devoted to a troped cycle:

Troped Apostolic Mass for Saint Martial
New York's Ensemble for Early Music - Frederick Renz
Ex Cathedra 9002

And another recording featuring Notker:

Notker Balabus: Sequences, tropes & chants from St. Gall Abbey
Ordo Virtutum - Stefan Morent
Christophorus 77341

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Todd M. McComb