The Black Madonna

Alfonso X (el Sabio) (Composer), Llibre Vermell de Montserrat Anonymous (Composer), Trouveres Anonymous (Composer), Roine Blance (Composer), King of Navarre Thibault IV (Composer), Bernhard Landauer (Performer), Ensemble Unicorn (Performer), Belinda Sykes (Performer)

Product Details

• Performer: Bernhard Landauer, Ensemble Unicorn, Belinda Sykes
• Composer: Alfonso X (el Sabio), Llibre Vermell de Montserrat Anonymous, Trouveres Anonymous, Roine Blance, King of Navarre Thibault IV
• Audio CD (May 26, 1998)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Naxos
• ASIN: B000007N63
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #27,055 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible, July 20, 2000

By	Guy DeRome "minister-of-truth" (Greendale, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I picked this up because I am interested in the Black Madonnas of Southern Europe and Medieval history in general. I also like "early music." This CD was an incredible surprise. The quality of the singing and musicianship is amazing. The Islamic influences in early European music are really brought out here. I can't recommend this more highly although it is probably not for the casual listener. But if you are curious, you can't beat the price!

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars yet another nail in the coffin of their competitors..., August 7, 2001

By A Customer

I'm not just some ignorant and rabid fan: I've surveyed hundreds of early music CDs in my time, and have performed a great deal of medieval music. I can assure you that Unicorn -- also known as Oni Wytars and Accentus -- is the best instrumental ensemble performing this repertory. Hands down. They rarely appear on critics' golden lists, but that's because most early music critics (and performers) are desiccated scholars and not impassioned musicians. The only reason this CD isn't perfect (unlike "Codex Faenza", which is flawless in every respect) is that the arrangements are less than historical. In medieval monophonic music, rule no. 1 about song accompaniment is that the instrumentalist must NEVER draw attention away from the voice -- go crazy with preludes and interludes, but be VERY discreet during actual singing. Since Unicorn is concerned primarily with the emotive and evocative capabilities of its instruments, it tends toward the densely orchestrated (but not to the absurd extremes of, for instance, Philip Pickett). Such an approach is not historically justified in most cases, but I'd be a desiccated scholar if I didn't reassure y'all that this CD is one hell of a fun ride.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Passion and Spirituality, May 28, 2004

By	Valerie Extermann (Switzerland) - See all my reviews

Having a fair collection of religious and medieval music, this CD really stands out. The voices are superb, the instruments spot on, and by closing my eyes, I can just imagine the pilgrims taking up the refrains, while slowly making their way up the rocky slope to the sanctuary of Montserrat (yes, I've been there, and the Black Madonna is very special). Of particular note is the passion , the fervor and the vigor that is transmitted to the listener. I highly recommend this CD