October 2007

Three more from Venance Fortunat

The great French Medieval ensemble has three more discs we have never heard—early Capetian chant, the Transfiguration ceremony from Cluny, and the Miracles of St. Nicholas.

Composer: PEROTINUS, ROBERT le PIEUX (d. 1031), GUILLAUME DUFAY (1397-1474), GAUTHIER de CHATILLON,

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Capella Romana: Monastery of St. Catherine

Founded in 548, this incomparable treasure nestled on Mount Sinai has not only the greatest collection of ancient icons that survived the ravages of the iconoclasts, it has a powerful and haunting musical tradition performed by the Capella in this exclusive concert

Composer: MANUEL CHRYSAPHES the LAMPADARIOS (fl.1440-63), XENOS KORONES (14th cen), MANUEL GAZES the LAMPADARIOS (early 15th c.), ANGELOS GREGORIOU (mid 15th cen.)

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Cappella Romana: The Fall of Constantinople

The first of two programs from the brilliant Portland, Oregon ensemble that explores music of the ancient Orthodox church--this program gives us eastern and western laments on the fall in 1453 of the 1000-year-old empire at the hands of the Ottoman Turks.

Composer: MANUEL CHRYSAPHES the LAMPADARIOS (fl.1440-63), GUILLAUME DUFAY (1397-1474), MANUEL GAZES the LAMPADARIOS (early 15th c.), JOHN PLOUSIADENOS (?1429-1500),

CD Info: Capella Romana CD CR402,

Trio Medieval: Folk Songs

The fabulous ladies of Trio Medieval are back with a collection of haunting late medieval folk songs in their native Norwegian tradition, most passed on orally over the centuries and mostly connected both musically and emotionally to particular regions in the home country.

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CD Info: ECM CD 2003,

Gheerkin de Hondt

While born in Delft, this almost-unknown composer spent his formative creative years in Bruges. Among the rarities on this disc are his setting of a mass for St. Cecelia (patron saint of music), and notably the birth date of his famous predecessor at Bruges, Jacob Obrecht.

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