Search - Mediterranea Camerata :: Lo Gai Saber / Troubadour Music

Fun, entertaining, and wonderful

FrKurt Messick | Bloomington, IN USA | 09/27/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is another stellar production by Erato, of the Camerata Mediterranea, under the direction of Joel Cohen. In my collection, I treat this disc as a companion piece to the collection 'The Sacred Bridge' by the Boston Camerata, which has sacred music from the Jewish and Christian traditions in the Middle Ages. This disc concentrates on secular music of the age of the minstrels and troubadours. Much is anonymous, both in lyric writing and musical composition. Indeed, according to Cohen, 'virtually all the minstrels' instrumental music of the troubadour period has been lost, and was perhaps never written down.' Musicians and musicologists have to rely on the folk tunes and later compositions known to incorporate themes to reconstruct as best they can the music from this period.



The performances of troubadours was sometimes a capella, but more often accompanied by plucked string sounds such as harp and viola. Cohen argues that the wind and percussion instruments of many recordings are less likely to be authentic. These are story/text driven songs.



One of the interesting aspects of authentic troubadour music is that performers were recruited not on the basis of music merit, but rather on connection with Occitan/Provencal as a primary consideration. For this recording, Anne Azema, Francois Harismendy, and Jean-Luc Madier have living Occitan connections. Joel Cohen, Cheryl Ann Fulton and Shira Kammen round out the players.



The songs (chansons) are divided into six main story lines, with improvised musical interludes. Troubadours told stories with their songs, and this disc is no different.



The performances are wonderful, lively, fun and full of energy. One can imagine being in a medieval chamber being entertained.

"

Priceless

trimmed drool | gods country | 12/05/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This recording first turned me on to early european music when it was released. If you are at all interested in this type of music or even just curious it is money well spent."