Star in the East: Medieval Hungarian Xmas Music

Editorial Reviews
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Anonymous 4 has explored some pretty unusual repertoire over the years, but medieval Hungarian Christmas music has to be one of the more exotic regions and one of the least familiar to Western audiences. And yet, on closer inspection this music has close ties to Christian chant that flourished in France, Germany, and Italy--distinguished by later alterations and embellishments inspired by local influences. Gradually, a specific Hungarian character emerged in this music, which can clearly be discerned in the repertoire on this program. Indeed, we can hear variations on traditional Latin chants such as the Advent hymn "Verbum supernum prodiens" as well as the application of different words to standard chant melodies. Ultimately, this music invokes the same spiritual precepts and representational images of the Christmas story experienced by more distant European congregations. And these performances bear the mark of Anonymous 4's established standard of excellence. --David Vernier

Star in the East: Medieval Hungarian Xmas Music, Music, Anonymous 4, Christmas / Chanukkah, Christmas Music, Classical

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