Customer Reviews

Garden of Earthly Delights

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This album offers an eclectic display of medieval music. We get pieces from the Cathar, French, Spanish, Andalusian &Sephardic traditions - yet the tunes blend easily - just like the bizarre beings in the famous triptych by H. Bosch melt into a fascinating whole. The Bosch painting is intensely personal, as each viewer picks out the details, patterns and configurations that speak to her.... and the same is true with this collection of 14th & 15th century music presented by La Nef, the sextet founded in 1991 by Sylvain Bergeron. the pieces are all played with medieval instruments (including lute, oud, the vielle, psaltery and santur); La Nef adapted a few pieces to address modern sensibilities, yet the adaptations ring true to me; perhaps this is what the Cathars really wanted?! I have listened to this CD many times and will listen to it again. And again. Recommended.

I have 4 of their albums, including "The Garden of Earthly Delights". I found this album to be more "mystically enchanting" than their other works. Typically, the album is presented as a themed play sung or played in about 17 acted scenes or "tracks". THE GARDEN* however, is more instrumental than say "Music for Joan the Mad", and, definately more mystical than "Le Monsignor".

I HIGHLY recommend you collect ALL OF LA NEF'S WORKS. This album is unique and isn't comparative to any of La Nef's other work. It stands out soley from all the rest and your collection wouldn't be complete without it. Although I prefer "Joan the Mad" and "The Quest for the Holy Grail" over this album (soley because I love the storylines), I'm very satisfied with my collection and happy I bought it.

My testimony of this troupe is -- BUY EVERYTHING THEY PRODUCE...THEY'RE THAT GOOD! Each album is a book. Each scene or "track" is creative, entertaining and thoroughly nourishing to the soul. If you haven't gone Mideval....JUST LISTEN TO THIS.