Customer Reviews

The Courts of Love: Music from the Time of Eleanor of Aquitaine - Sinfonye

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I chose this CD with absolutely no knowlege of the music of the time. I was looking for a CD to try out, one that I could listen to a couple of times just to see if I liked the style. As a fan of Eleanor of Aquitaine, I chose this CD because there are three songs by Bernart de Ventadorn, her protege. I was blown away when I listened to the CD - it's absolutely amazing! Mara Kiek has an incredible voice - I can enjoy modern talent while listening to the works of twelfth-century troubadours. The selections, especially "L'on qui dit q'amors est dolce chose" by anonymous and "S'ie-us quier conseil, bel' amig' Alamanda'" by Giraut de Bornelh are intensely beautiful. With the rich, sonorous music performed by Sinfonye, I can just close my eyes and imagine that I am in Eleanor of Aquitaine's court. I recommend this CD to anyone who wants some easy listening, romantic songs that have definitely withstood the test of time.

I gave this disc only 4 stars because I'm not familiar with music of this period, so although I'd prefer to give this CD 5 stars, it might not measure up against other performances. Here you'll find a mix of instrumental and vocal music, and the sound is very different from anything that we associate with classical music in the vein of Bach or Beethoven. The instruments are reedier, the voice more nasal; I'm tempted to say, you might try to think of it as an intermediary between Gregorian chant and Baroque opera (especially Monteverdi), but it isn't quite as simple as that.

These are *really* new sounds and they conjure up a much different world than the string orchestras of the late 18th century. I found that there is something uniquely foreign in this music, as if it comes from an era just beyond our grasp. In my opinion, it's not jarring enough to be annoying (no atonalities or microtones) but different enough for you to think twice about its instrumentation and vocal mechanisms.

The melodies are rather catchy, and if you are adventurous then you might want to sample this music. The only note of caution I would give is that it took me a while to get into this music, whereas my parents still can't stand it, so its appeal (like everything else) is definitely not universal. If you can, listen to the sample tracks before you buy it.