Search - Sequentia :: Hildegard Von Bingen: O Jerusalem

Superb rendition of Hildegard

John R. Snyder | Austin, TX USA | 12/22/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Like all the other Hildegard/Sequentia discs, this one is a wonderful addition to any collection. Inspired performances, soaring melodies, intriguing texts. Elizabeth Gaver's instrumental compositions are an especially nice addition; they fit perfectly with Hildegard's style and provide just the right contrast to the vocal pieces. This is currently one of my "desert island" CD's."

A Vibrant Reconstruction

Billyjack D'Urberville | USA | 10/02/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Another flawless Sequentia contibution to the complete works of Hildegard, this set uses the 10 minute title piece, written for the dedication of a church, to lay the cornerstone for a series of liturgical songs which might have been appropriate to such an occasion. As the church bells ring to set the stage for the recorded fantasia, the lovely choir begins and carries straight through a roller coaster of gems, occasionally colored by a spare but powerful addition of period instruments throughout, fiddle, harp, organ, flute. Characteristic Hildegard themes of the miraculous, holy virginity and its fruits amplify and adorn songs regarding the new church's patron Saint Rupert and his virtues, a duke's son and ascetic who died at 20. Sequentia's combination of vibrant performance and informed but creative reconstruction perfectly matches the spirit of the bold medieval composer and abbess Hildegard, as she in turn linked her own charisms to Rupert. The total effect is like a rare telescope look into a distant spiritual terrain, and quite absorbing."

Beware the Amazon CD-R version of a great recording!

Alan Anbari | Austin, TX USA | 01/29/2010

(1 out of 5 stars)

"This recording and the performances it captures are wonderful. Rather than comment on these aspects, I wish to address the absolutely inadequate Amazon CD-R reissue version of this recording. The disc itself is fine. However, as anyone who has followed Sequentia knows from their previous releases, an integral part of their performing and recording is their scholarship, which is fully documented and discussed in the liner notes of their recordings. Essays discuss composers, performance practice, and the musical and social milieu in which the music developed. They also include full bibliographic and discographic information, as well as translations of the sung texts. Tragically, the Amazon CD-R version includes none of this information. Indeed, there are no notes at all and only a bare list of work titles included! I would argue this issue borders on useless without the missing information. Sequentia's own web site lists the original 1997 CD booklet as 55 pages, surely the international version, but certainly more than what is present in this reissue. Caveat emptor."