Search - Ensemble PAN :: The Island of St. Hylarion

Buy it ! buy it ! buy it !buy it ! buy it !

Abraham aziz lorensozo | israel | 05/11/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"what an album !!!!! dont say a word. dont think twice. just buy it. it is my favorit !!! lots of love to the P.A.N ensamble & the other talented preformers on this rare trip into a world of pure beauty (and the tracks r anonymouse too!!!)i recomand the "chiconia" album of the same ensamble 2. it is allso a "must!" if ur a fun of the 13th-14th music you'll b a fool not to purchase those yami albums they are like food 4 your souls."

Inspired music

FrKurt Messick | Bloomington, IN USA | 09/26/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I must concur with my fellow reviewer who advocated, in no uncertain terms, that you should get this CD. This is a fabulous recording of lesser known music that deserves a much wider audience. This music comes from a medieval Cypriot manuscript housed in the Biblioteca Nazionale in Turin, which dates to 1413-1422. 'This manuscript is the sole witness to a brief but extraordinary flowering of western art music in Cyprus at the end of the fourteenth and the beginning of the fifteenth century.'



Perhaps one of the reasons for this neglect is political - Cyrpus was a Western outpost during the Crusades; hence, the culture of Cyprus has been influenced by outsiders heavily. The nation of Cyprus still is split between Greek and Turkish communities. The island of Cyprus was at one time a Knights Templar possession, given over to the last King of Jerusalem, and became a Francophile kingdom until the fifteenth century. Because of these close connections with France, the rulers often travelled to the European continent, and brought back both an appreciation for and performers of western musical styles that in turn took root and blossomed into local products such as the compositions recorded here.



The codex in Turin consists of full masses, offices of St. Hylarion and St. Anne, plainsong pieces, mass pieces such as glorias, credos, and more. There are motets, vierlais, rondeaux, and over a hundred ballades. Ths music on this disc is a representative sample of both the secular and sacred pieces.



The performers are the Ensemble Pro Ars Nova. According to their website, 'Ensemble Project Ars Nova, known popularly as Ensemble PAN, takes its name and its sense of spirit from Philippe de Vitry's 14th century musical treatise "Ars Nova" (The New Art). Founded at the Schola Cantorum in Basel, Switzerland, by young American artists Laurie Monahan (mezzo-soprano), Michael Collver (countertenor and corno muto) and Crawford Young (lute), the Ensemble debuted at the Festival Estival in Paris in 1982. At its American debut at the Castle Hill Festival in 1984, Shira Kammen (bowed strings) and John Fleagle (tenor and medieval harp) joined the group.' In addition to these members, they have guest performers Peter Becker (tenor), Karen Clark-Young (mezzosoprano), Randall Cook (vielle), Steven Lundahl (slide trumpet), and Margaret Raines (mezzosoprano). This disc was recorded in 1991, during the Ensemble's residency in the Boston area on a grant.



The clarity, the vibrancy, the depth and beauty in the music and in the performances perfectly match to give a strong, memorable experience.



Buy this disc!"

Exquisite.

FrKurt Messick | 12/20/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Beautifully performed, well recorded, this is a terrific addition to any collection. I find it at once calming and invigorating. Whenever anyone comes over and happens to hear it, they are instantly struck by the beauty and simplicity of the music. Highly recommended."