Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179): Lieder und Antiphonen

Hildegard von Bingen (Composer), John Dunstable (Composer), Johannes Brassart (Composer), Guillaume Dufay (Composer), Helga Weber (Conductor), Kevin Smith (Performer), Wilfried Jochens (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Kevin Smith, Wilfried Jochens
• Conductor: Helga Weber
• Composer: Hildegard von Bingen, John Dunstable, Johannes Brassart, Guillaume Dufay
• Audio CD (March 23, 1995)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Entree
• ASIN: B0000044M2
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #467,426 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Karitas habundat (Caritas abundat), antiphon

2. O virtus Sapientiae, antiphon

3. Sancta Maria, non est tibi similis, respond & antiphon for 3 voices, MB 48 (probably by Binchois)

4. O quam mirabilis, antiphon

5. Beata Dei genitrix, antiphon for 3 voices, MB 42 (also attrib. to Binchois)

6. Hodie aperuit nobis (Nunc aperuit nobis), antiphon

7. Beata mater, antiphon for 3 voices, MB 60 (also attrib. to Power)

8. Alleluia, O virga mediatrix, alleluia antiphon

9. Ave Maria Gratia Plena, motet

10. O clarissima mater, response

11. Speciosa facta es, antiphon for 3 voices, MB 50 (probably by Binchois)

12. Alma redemptoris, antiphon for 3 voices, MB 40 (also attrib. to Power)

13. O frondens virga, antiphon

14. Magnificat octavi toni, for 2 or 3 voices

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable bargain, September 28, 2001

By 

Marian R. Van Til (Lewiston, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179): Lieder und Antiphonen (Audio CD)

Though Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) is the composer most prominently displayed on the CD cover, she's the odd person out here; not because she's the only woman composer among the four represented, but because she lived three centuries before Dufay, Dunstable and Brassart, and because those three were known to each other and had direct stylistic connections to each other. Dunstable, who was probably the first to write instrumental accompaniment for church music (e.g., Track 3 here), influenced Dufay, as well as the lesser known Brassart.

This performance is fairly "traditional" as as early music performances go these days. It contains none of (presumably) authentically edgy singing and the microtonal maneuvering of groups like Marcel Peres Ensemble Organum. The recording acoustic is also much drier than is often now heard -- which is either a plus or a minus, depending on your tastes and how big a church or cathedral you want to picture while listening! But the singing here is clear, bell-like, competent and enjoyable. And at this price, the more so!