Aquitania: Christmas Music from Aquitanian Monasteries (12th Century)

Sequentia (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Sequentia
• Audio CD (October 14, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: BMG
• ASIN: B000001TZQ
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #75,853 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

No Description Available
No Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: SEQUENTIA
Title: AQUITANIA
Street Release Date: 10/14/1997
Domestic
Genre: CLASSICAL ARTISTS

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Trip to the World of Medieval Aquitania, June 4, 2000

By 

Marilia A. da Silveira (Porto Alegre, RS Brazil) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Aquitania: Christmas Music from Aquitanian Monasteries (12th Century) (Audio CD)

Aquitania was a rich part of the medieval world. It was the land of the troubadours and of the admirable liturgical chants. It was the world of the first medieval troubadour, Guilhelm IX, Duke of Aquitania and grandfather of Eleanor, the powerful queen. This CD evokes this legendary place, its myths and its art of the 12th century. All the CDs of Sequentia are marvellous. Words are not enough of describing the sensitive work of this ensemble. I have heard Dante and the Troubadours, Aquitania, with Christmas Music from Aquitanian monasteries and Shining Light. These three CDs give us a powerful view of the aquitanian spirit. I feel the vibrant culture of that part of a medieval world, when I am listening the troubadours songs and the music from aquitanian monasteries performed by Sequentia.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful medieval Christmas music!, July 24, 2008

By 

Maurice Canada - See all my reviews

This review is from: Aquitania: Christmas Music from Aquitanian Monasteries (12th Century) (Audio CD)

Aquitania by Sequentia is a wonderful, exciting Christmas CD for connoisseurs of early vocal music. These early Christmas Latin songs of the 12th century has a total time of 73 minutes. This is a fantastic, rewarding CD for all those looking for something else than the usual Christmas favorites. Sequentia is simply music of the highest rank. Barbara Thornton and Benjamin Bagby are geniuses in that field. Moreover, you simply cannot go wrong with this CD at Amazon's price. Far from expensive, I bought their other CD Shining Light. Before they fall into deletion, hurry to get both at once. I invested every penny for them and I never regretted it.

- Maurice Canada

16 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hauntingly beautiful., December 18, 2005

By 

B. Marold "Bruce W. Marold" (Bethlehem, PA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Aquitania: Christmas Music from Aquitanian Monasteries (12th Century) (Audio CD)

'aquitania' is the second collection of 12th century musical pieces from Aquitanian Monasteries performed by sequentia, or the 'Ensemble for Medieval Music' comprised of a chorus of male voices, a chorus of female voices, and an instrumental ensemble.

Not being a professional musical antiquarian, the very best I can say about this recording is that it is better than the first collection, 'shining light'.

Oddly, my biggest problem with both collections is that nothing on both recordings does anything whatsoever to evoke Christmas for me. I say that because there are some buyers who may be on the lookout for some unusual Christmas music and they just may be disappointed by what the do NOT hear on these recordings. That caveat aside, this collection is very, very good in its variety of male, female, and instrumental voices.

What some tracks do evoke is an oddly Celtic sound, especially in some of the instrumental tracks. All the vocals are in Latin, meaning they were all written to be performed for and by the monks and nuns of the monasteries in the Christmas season.

There is simply nothing here sounding remotely like 'O Little Town of Bethlehem', even in Latin.

If you want a portal into the world of very old music, I can think of nothing better. It is certainly more diverse and more interesting than the otherwise excellent 'Anonymous 4' recordings of old Christmas music.

Highly recommended.