The Age of Cathedrals

Editorial Reviews
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In the late 12th century, the city of Paris, with its university and cathedral, was unequaled as a center of music and learning. The musical innovations achieved at Notre Dame and the abbey of St. Martial laid the groundwork for many important developments in music, including polyphony, rhythmic notation, and metrical organization of melody. This recording features 16 works from this period, by both known composers at Notre Dame--Leonin and Perotin--and unknown ones working in monastic anonymity at St. Martial. Although relatively austere and harmonically limited, these revolutionary pieces-- inspired in part by the majesty of the new cathedral buildings built during the 12th century--have an incredible range of emotion, from passionate declamations to intensely moving florid lines. The performances by Paul Hillier and his superb singers are resonant, warm, dynamic, and rhythmically exciting, recorded with spacious sound that preserves the detail of the vocal parts. --David Vernier

The Age of Cathedrals, Music, Adam of St. Victor, Albert of Paris, Anonymous, Italian Anonymous, Leone Leoni, Albertus Parisiensis, Perotin, Philippe Le Chancelier, Theatre of Voices, Alan Bennett, Boyd Jarrell, Hugh B. Davies, Mark Daniel, Neal Rogers, Paul Elliott, Paul Hillier, Tom Hart, Choral, Choral Music, Classical, Classical Music, Conductus, Early Polyphony, Miscellaneous, Miscellaneous Music, Miscellaneous Vocal Music, Vocal, Vocal Music

The Age of Cathedrals
Average customer rating:

Very nice selection of very early music.

The Age of Cathedrals

Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
Vocal & Song | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music | Requiems
General | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Paul Hillier/Fragments

ASIN: B0000007F2
Release Date: 1996-10-22

Tracks:

Resonemus hoc natali
Natus est rex
In hoc anni circulo
Congaudeant catholici
De monte
Ve mundo
Benedicamus Domino - Humane prolis
In natale
Lilium floruit
Propter veritatem
Orienti oriens
Virgo flagellatur
Mors
Templum cordis
Benedicamus Domino
Beata viscera

Amazon.com

In the late 12th century, the city of Paris, with its university and cathedral, was unequaled as a center of music and learning. The musical innovations achieved at Notre Dame and the abbey of St. Martial laid the groundwork for many important developments in music, including polyphony, rhythmic notation, and metrical organization of melody. This recording features 16 works from this period, by both known composers at Notre Dame--Leonin and Perotin--and unknown ones working in monastic anonymity at St. Martial. Although relatively austere and harmonically limited, these revolutionary pieces-- inspired in part by the majesty of the new cathedral buildings built during the 12th century--have an incredible range of emotion, from passionate declamations to intensely moving florid lines. The performances by Paul Hillier and his superb singers are resonant, warm, dynamic, and rhythmically exciting, recorded with spacious sound that preserves the detail of the vocal parts. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

Very nice selection of very early music........2005-12-24

'The Age of Cathedrals' by the Theature of Voices directed by porminant vocal director, Paul Hillier is a very good collection on Latin liturgical music written for the Paris Notre Dame cathedral.

As a layman when it comes to early music, I am simply reporting on how enjoyable I find this album compared to other recordings of early liturgical works. In general I find two weaknesses. First, it is done entirely with male voices and second, the collection of tracks do not constitute a full mass, but fragments of music for various festivals and monastic activities.

If you simply like some old music, I would suggest some of the albums by Sequentia which includes some instruments and some female voices. If you are a died in the wool liturgical wonk, you will love this album.