''Canticles of Ecstasy'' is an album of sacred

vocal music Vocal music is a type of singing performed by one or more singers, either with instrumental accompaniment, or without instrumental accompaniment (a cappella), in which singing provides the main focus of the piece. Music which employs singing but ...

written in the 12th century by the German

abbess An abbess (Latin: ''abbatissa'') is the female superior of a community of nuns in an abbey. Description In the Catholic Church (both the Latin Church and Eastern Catholic), Eastern Orthodox, Coptic, Lutheran and Anglican abbeys, the mod ...

Hildegard of Bingen Hildegard of Bingen Benedictines, OSB (, ; ; 17 September 1179), also known as the Sibyl of the Rhine, was a German Benedictines, Benedictine abbess and polymath active as a writer, composer, philosopher, Christian mysticism, mystic, visiona ...

and recorded by the

early music Early music generally comprises Medieval music (500–1400) and Renaissance music (1400–1600), but can also include Baroque music (1600–1750) or Ancient music (before 500 AD). Originating in Europe, early music is a broad Dates of classical ...

ensemble Sequentia that was released by the

Deutsche Harmonia Mundi Deutsche Harmonia Mundi (founded 1958) is a German classical music record label. It was founded by Rudolf Ruby and based in Freiburg, Breisgau. The company was acquired by BMG Music in 1992 and is now part of Sony Music Entertainment. Ruby had Alf ...

recording label in 1993. The album is one of a series of recordings of the complete musical works of Hildegard by the early medieval music specialists and founders of Sequentia, Barbara Thornton and her husband Benjamin Bagby. It was recorded between 16 and 21 June 1993 in the church of St. Pantaleon, Cologne,

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, "at the sarcophagus of the Empress

Theophanu Theophanu Skleraina (; also ''Theophania'', ''Theophana'', ''Theophane'' or ''Theophano''; Medieval Greek ; AD 955 15 June 991) was empress of the Holy Roman Empire by marriage to Emperor Otto II, and regent of the Empire during the minority ...

" (d. 991). The music is from a medieval manuscript written at Hildegard's abbey (Rupertsberger "Riesencodex" (1180–90) Wiesbaden: Hessische Landesbibliothek, MS 2) and the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

texts are from Hildegard von Bingen, ''Lieder'' (Salzburg, 1969).''Canticles of Ecstasy'' CD booklet, p. 4.

Track listing

All vocal compositions (responses and

antiphons An antiphon (Greek ἀντίφωνον, ἀντί "opposite" and φωνή "voice") is a short chant in Christian ritual, sung as a refrain. The texts of antiphons are usually taken from the Psalms or Scripture, but may also be freely composed. T ...

) written by Hildegard of Bingen. #"O vis aeternitatis" (7:56) #"Nunc aperuit nobis" (1:53) #"Quia ergo femina mortem instruxit" (1:49) #"Cum processit factura digiti Dei" (6:32) #"Alma Redemptoris Mater" (2:10) #"Ave Maria, O auctrix vite" (8:57) #"Spiritus Sanctus vivificans vite" (2:15) #"O ignis spiritus Paracliti" (6:17) #"Caritas habundat in omnia" (2:10) #"O virga mediatrix" (2:25) #"O viridissima virga, Ave" (3:51) #Instrumental Piece (3:30) #"O Pastor Animarum" (1:18) #"O tu suavissima virga" (11:12) #"O choruscans stellarum" (2:37) #"O nobilissima viriditas" (6:42)

Personnel

Musicians

* Barbara Thornton – voice, director *Gundula Anders – voice * Pamela Dellal – voice *Elizabeth Glen – voice *Heather Knutson – voice *Laurie Monahan – voice *Susanne Norin – voice *Janet Youngdahl – voice *Elizabeth Gaver – medieval fiddle, arranger *Elisabetta de Mircovich – medieval fiddle * Benjamin Bagby – medieval harp, arranger

Recording and production personnel

*Jan Hofermann – executive producer *Klaus L. Neumann – producer *Barbara Valentin – artistic recording supervisor *Martin Andrae – technical recording supervisor *Barbara Göbel – editing *Jens Markowsky – final editing

References

{{Authority control Western plainchant Early music albums 1993 albums Hildegard of Bingen Theophanu

Track listing

Personnel

Musicians

Recording and production personnel

See also

References