Women as Performers, Subjects & Composers in the Middle Ages

Performed by New York's Ensemble for Early Music
Frederick Renz, Director

Eva Atsalis - frame drums; Kristina Boerger - soprano; Margaret Bragle - mezzo soprano; Beth Cullinane - soprano; Ruth Cunningham - soprano, flute, tambourine; Margo Gezairlian Grib - mezzo soprano & vielle; Christa Patton - winds, harp & mezzo soprano; Ayelet Piatigorsky - mezzo soprano; Chris Rua - winds, harp & mezzo soprano; Kirsten Sollek-Avella - mezzo soprano; Karol Steadman - soprano

This recording celebrates medieval women as performers, subjects and composers. There are chants, motets, canciones and conducti of love, both spiritual and temporal, honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary, extolling the virtues of sainted and royal women, and illuminating the everyday lives of cloistered as well as secular women. Of the saints, Mary the Virgin was, of course, the most frequently honored. However, several female saints and martyrs were extolled and revered in medieval poetry and music; Saint Catherine (and her fiery wheel), Saint Ursula (with her 11,000 virgin martyrs), Saint Agnes (the Roman, child martyr), and Saint Margaret (swallowed by Satan in the form of a dragon).

Released in association with The Metropolitan Museum of Art to coincide with its "Treasures of a Lost Art exhibit, this albums feature a dozen women artists directed by Frederick Renz, representing the female face of medieval music in the ecstatic, secular and spiritual works of the time.

Play List

1.Veritas arpieLe Roman de Fauvel, 1310

2.Verbum patris hodie...Benedicamus DominoLas Huelgas Codex, 13th Century

3.Da castitatis thalamumLas Huelgas

Cloistered Women

4.Nonne sui/APTATURBamberg Codex, 13th Century

5.Quant voi la flourete/Je sui joliete/APTATURBamberg

6.Ave, plena gracie/Salve, virgo regia/APTATURBamberg

Antiphons to St. UrsulaHildegard von Bingen, 1098-1179

7.O rubor sanguinis, Studium divinitatis, Unde quocumque, De patria, Deus enim, Aer enim, Et ideo, Deus enim rorem, Sed diabolus

Secular Women

8.Toute soule passerai/NOTUMBamberg

9.Trois sereus/Trois/Trois/PERLUSTRAVITClayette Codex, 13th Century

10.Les un bosquet/PORTAREBamberg

Royal Women

11.A chantar m'erLa Comtessa de Dia, Occitania, ca. 1175

12.Ante dies exitus...decantur (plainchant antiphon for St. Elizabeth of Hungary, 1207-1231)

     Un chant revoisie et bel/DECANTURPeter of Cambrai? ca.1275

13.Salve, regina glorieLas Huelgas

14.Estampie RealNorth France, ca. 1250

Blessed Virgin Mary

15.Ave maris stella (plainchant hymn)

     Ave beatissima civitas/Ave maria/AVE MARIS STELLAClayette

16.Beata viscera (plainchant communion)

     Partus fuit virginalis/Beata viscera Marie/BEATA VISCERABamberg

17.Alma redemptoris mater (plainchant antiphon)

     Gaude super omnia/Descendi in ortum meum/ALMA REDEMPTORIS MATERBamberg

Canciones de amigoMartim Codax, fl.c. 1230

18.Ondas do mar de Vigo, Man did' ei comigo, Mia yrmana fremosa, Ay Deus, se sab' ora meu amigo, Quantas sabedes amar amigo, Eno sagrado en Vigo (recited), Ay ondas que eu vin veer

Women Saints

19.La Manfredina/RottaNorth Italy, Late 14th Century

20.Sancta AgnesaTuscany, ca.1300

21.Salve virgo MargarethaNotre Dame School, ca.1200

22.O laudanda virginitas...KatherinaEnglish, ca. 1250

23.Ad sancta KatherineNotre Dame School