Gautier de Coincy: Miracles of Notre Dame [IMPORT]

Ian Harrison (Performer), Gauthier de Coincy (Composer), Harp Consort (Performer), Andrew Lawrence-King (Performer), Caitriona O'Leary (Performer), Clara Sanabras (Performer), Ian Honeyman (Performer), Jennie Cassidy (Performer), Julian Podger (Performer), Paul Willenbrock (Performer), Steven Harrold (Performer), Virginie Landré (Performer)

Product Details

• Performer: Ian Harrison, Harp Consort, Andrew Lawrence-King, Caitriona O'Leary, Clara Sanabras, et al.
• Composer: Gauthier de Coincy
• Audio CD (September 9, 2003)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Harmonia Mundi Fr.
• ASIN: B00008K4FR
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #166,081 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. Les Miracles de Nostre-Dame, 37 songs and motets for voice(s) & instruments: Amours qui bien ses enchanter

2. Les Miracles de Nostre-Dame, 37 songs and motets for voice(s) & instruments: Hui matin a l'ajournee

3. Les Miracles de Nostre-Dame, 37 songs and motets for voice(s) & instruments: Douce dame

4. Les Miracles de Nostre-Dame, 37 songs and motets for voice(s) & instruments: Ma viele

5. Les Miracles de Nostre-Dame, 37 songs and motets for voice(s) & instruments: Efforcier m'estuet ma voiz

6. Les Miracles de Nostre-Dame, 37 songs and motets for voice(s) & instruments: Quant ces flouretes

7. Les Miracles de Nostre-Dame, 37 songs and motets for voice(s) & instruments: Puisque voir la fleur novele

8. Les Miracles de Nostre-Dame, 37 songs and motets for voice(s) & instruments: D'une amour quoie et serie

9. Les Miracles de Nostre-Dame, 37 songs and motets for voice(s) & instruments: De sainte Leochade

10. Les Miracles de Nostre-Dame, 37 songs and motets for voice(s) & instruments: Talens m'est pris orendroit

11. Les Miracles de Nostre-Dame, 37 songs and motets for voice(s) & instruments: Pour Dieu traiez vous en la

12. Les Miracles de Nostre-Dame, 37 songs and motets for voice(s) & instruments: Hui matin a l'ajournee

13. Les Miracles de Nostre-Dame, 37 songs and motets for voice(s) & instruments: Hyer matin / Benedicamos Domino, motet

14. Les Miracles de Nostre-Dame, 37 songs and motets for voice(s) & instruments: Je pour yver, pour noif ne pour gelee

15. Les Miracles de Nostre-Dame, 37 songs and motets for voice(s) & instruments: S'amour dont sui espris

16. Les Miracles de Nostre-Dame, 37 songs and motets for voice(s) & instruments: Roÿne celestre

17. Les Miracles de Nostre-Dame, 37 songs and motets for voice(s) & instruments: S'amour dont sui espris

18. Les Miracles de Nostre-Dame, 37 songs and motets for voice(s) & instruments: Entendez uit ensemble

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Thirteenth-century troubador Gautier de Coincy's blend of mystical religious poetry and the popular tunes to which he set his poems proves irresistible, especially in the Harp Consort’s lively renditions. Given the nature of the material, the sheer variety of rhythms, sounds, and colors on this disc is astounding; the vocal soloists are all excellent, the small chorus adept, captivating when it sings in the gutsy peasant style at appropriate moments. Eight purely instrumental numbers are sprinkled throughout the 20 tracks, each a gem, full of colorful effects from the rich-sounding shawm and other period instruments like bagpipe, vielle, and a variety of percussion instruments that thump and shimmer in ways that make you want to dance. Pleasure is enhanced by Harmonia Mundi's deluxe presentation: absorbing notes, texts, and translations in readable type, and handsome cardboard packaging. Best of all, you-are-there engineering helps transport you back through time. This is a don't-miss disc! --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brimming with exuberance, December 23, 2005

By	Sator (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews

Every recording by Andrew Lawrence-King is something of an event. Few recording artists in the Medieval-Renaissance Music field produce such consistently instantly fascinating sounds as he does. In fact he deserves to have something of a cult following both amongst general music listeners (I mean people who would usually never listen to mainstream Classical Music) as well as Early Music afficianados. If you have never listened to Medieval Music in your life this would be a fine place to start for there are pieces here that will have you dancing on your table out of sheer exuberance.

Les Miracles de Notre-Dames were the creation of Gautier de Coincy in the early 1200's. The songs are all based on trouvére love poetry - applied not to courtly love but to the Virgin Mary.

Instruments on display here include medieval harps, cornetto, vielle, shawn, organetto, psaltery, bagpipes as well as vocal parts. The spirit of the music is far from that of plain chant, rather being sometimes closer to that of 'pagan excesses of peasant celebrations' as the excellent liner notes describe it. The church simply took in these popular trends and transformed them into more respectable Marian music.

Another triumph by Andrew Lawrence-King. Enthusiastically recommended!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent Medieval Music, March 21, 2004

By	S. Flynn (Dallas, TX United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was first exposed to Medieval and Renaissance Music when I took a course for musical illiterates in college. We could not read music, but we could listen. Being exposed to only popular music, it suprised me how much I loved ancient music. I have collected many recordings of this music over the last 30 years. Miracles of Notre-Dame is absolutely the best recording of music in the troubadour tradition that I have ever heard. Of course, you would not expect anything less than a magnificent product from Harmonia Mundi. I have played this recording repeatedely. It is not a CD you will put aside and listen to months later. If you have any interest in music of this time, you must have this. The singing. the playing, the music are not to be missed.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Masterful, January 25, 2004

By	Eric Gross "www.liberationfromthelie.com" (Philadelphia Suburbs) - See all my reviews

Even if secular medieval music is NOT one of your favorites genres, the energy and mystical beauty of this CD shines throughout all 20 tracks. The recording quality is magnificent. I cannot recommend this CD strongly enough!