Hildegard von Bingen reviews
Gardens of Delight – Roses, Lillies & Other Flowers in Medieval Song
The Telling (First Hand Records)
Hildegard von Bingen: Celestial Hierarchy
Hildegard Von Bingen: Heavenly Revelations: Hymns, Sequences, Antiphons & Responds
Not all medieval musicians were men. Hildegard of Bingen was especially gifted and richly deserves this moving tribute from Naxos – a label which seems to be attempting a comprehensive coverage of music history. The slightly timid delivery and the male voices on some of the tracks are probably not what Hildegard had in mind, but the fetching plainness of ‘O virga’ and the deep sonority of ‘O presul vere’ remind us that there may be another kind of authenticity.
Hildegard Von Bingen: Vision: Arrangements of music by Hildegard by Richard Souther
You have only three years to psyche yourself up for the 900th-anniversary celebrations of Hildegard’s birth. Begin with this offering from Sequentia, which provides a clear introduction to her songs for the Virgin Mary, her works in praise of the Holy Spirit and her exhortations to the ecclesiastical community.
Hildegard Von Bingen: Canticles of Ecstasy
You have only three years to psyche yourself up for the 900th-anniversary celebrations of Hildegard’s birth. Begin with this offering from Sequentia, which provides a clear introduction to her songs for the Virgin Mary, her works in praise of the Holy Spirit and her exhortations to the ecclesiastical community.
Hildegard Von Bingen: Laudes de sainte Ursule
Next year will be the 900th anniversary of the birth of Hildegard. Of the many recordings of her works the series by Sequentia is clearly the best, and here they select pieces appropriate for the opening of her church in 1152. The disc begins with the glorious O Jerusalem, grand and ecstatic, with the bells of Bamberg Cathedral ringing in the background. But the musical high point is the brilliantly flexible and subtle performance of O tu illustrata, where each phrase is allowed to quicken and grow into the next.
Hildegard Von Bingen: O Jerusalem
Next year will be the 900th anniversary of the birth of Hildegard. Of the many recordings of her works the series by Sequentia is clearly the best, and here they select pieces appropriate for the opening of her church in 1152. The disc begins with the glorious O Jerusalem, grand and ecstatic, with the bells of Bamberg Cathedral ringing in the background. But the musical high point is the brilliantly flexible and subtle performance of O tu illustrata, where each phrase is allowed to quicken and grow into the next.