Search - Hildegard, Ensemble for Music of the Middle Ages :: Ordo Virtutum. Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179)

This disc presents a committed, evocative, admirable version of Hildegard's allegorical proto-opera--unfortunately, its best features will be inaccessible to most potential listeners. Director Stefan Morent has slightly condensed the piece and added spoken narration in German (wonderfully recited by the legendary early-music pioneer Andrea von Ramm) to make the piece more approachable for his audience; naturally, this commendable gesture is lost on non-German speakers. (Worse, the accompanying booklet has no English translation.) That said, the music is very nicely performed: the improvised instrumental interludes are well-judged and energetic and the singing is admirable--especially that of Monika Mauch as the Soul, who delivers her lines of plainchant with an impressive range of emotion. For those who understand German, this is highly recommended. --Matthew Westphal