The real Hildegard von Bingen

[Josquin des Prez]

I recently acquired the recording by the Ensemble Organum, which claims to be more historically accurate then other offerings, and the difference with other recordings is staggering. Even well respected groups like Sequentia now sound a bit suspect. Yet, according to the Wikipedia article, her music is supposed to be "characterized by soaring melodies, often well outside of the normal range of chant at the time", but i have no idea if this description is based on her popular recordings rather then a real analysis of her actual music. The recording by the Ensemble Organum does not have any particularly "soaring" quality. Are we being duped by the popular fad surrounding this composer or did Marcel Peres exaggerate a bit?

[RJR]

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:_6SkLNbB4yoJ:www.essentialsofmusic.com/compose

One possible explanation of her musical style:

Hildegard also excelled in the craft of musical composition, and she wrote a large number of monophonic pieces for use in the church services, along with a mystery play with music (the Ordo virtutum). Her musical style is individual. Perhaps because she wrote her works for female voices, her melodies explore a much wider range and often contain dramatic leaps. Her chants also use repeating melodic motives much more than other pieces in this style. Not surprisingly, since she never would have received the formal musical training that her male counterparts would have, her pieces have an improvisatory quality that suggests that they are the creations of a singer rather than of a "composer."

[canninator]

I recently acquired the recording by the Ensemble Organum, which claims to be more historically accurate then other offerings, and the difference with other recordings is staggering. Even well respected groups like Sequentia now sound a bit suspect. Yet, according to the Wikipedia article, her music is supposed to be "characterized by soaring melodies, often well outside of the normal range of chant at the time", but i have no idea if this description is based on her popular recordings rather then a real analysis of her actual music. The recording by the Ensemble Organum does not have any particularly "soaring" quality. Are we being duped by the popular fad surrounding this composer or did Marcel Peres exaggerate a bit?

Absolute pitch, note duration, and ornamentation are difficult to derive from early neumes. I am not aware that Peres has any greater true insight into translating neumes than anyone else. I love his interpretations but that is all they are and I am not aware of any peer reviewed work to support his claims of authenticity.

The Wikipedia quote, I am not sure about. Sure, her chants in authentic modes are going to have a wider ambitus than other chants in plagal modes. Is the suggestion that her authentic mode chants of broader ambitus than authentic mode chants of the papal (Old Roman-probably still at that time) or the then dominant Gregorian repertoire true? I am doubtful and the reference quoted by Wikipedia doesn't do much to change my mind.

[canninator]

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:_6SkLNbB4yoJ:www.essentialsofmusic.com/compose

One possible explanation of her musical style:

Hildegard also excelled in the craft of musical composition, and she wrote a large number of monophonic pieces for use in the church services, along with a mystery play with music (the Ordo virtutum). Her musical style is individual. Perhaps because she wrote her works for female voices, her melodies explore a much wider range and often contain dramatic leaps. Her chants also use repeating melodic motives much more than other pieces in this style. Not surprisingly, since she never would have received the formal musical training that her male counterparts would have, her pieces have an improvisatory quality that suggests that they are the creations of a singer rather than of a "composer."

I just quickly scanned the Wiesbaden Codex, which contains all her musical works, and I am not sure there is anything to support the idea that she was regularly exploring wide ranges or used any great number of dramatic intervals. Yes, there are examples of leaps beyond the third and examples where she goes beyond the modal range but that could be noticed in any number of contemporary sources. Mind you, it was a quick scan so I'm open to correction.

I'm not sure about your point about repeating melodic motives. The re-use of motivic materials is a standout feature of the chant tradition but I might be reading you wrong.


Edit: Sorry, RJR, I just realised you are quoting the URL so you can ignore me. I shall go argue with the internets 

[Josquin des Prez]

I just quickly scanned the Wiesbaden Codex, which contains all her musical works, and I am not sure there is anything to support the idea that she was regularly exploring wide ranges or used any great number of dramatic intervals. Yes, there are examples of leaps beyond the third and examples where she goes beyond the modal range but that could be noticed in any number of contemporary sources. Mind you, it was a quick scan so I'm open to correction.

I'm not sure about your point about repeating melodic motives. The re-use of motivic materials is a standout feature of the chant tradition but I might be reading you wrong.

That would seem to substantiate the claim made by Peres. Even assuming her music has this "improvisatory" quality, whether due to her lack of formal training or her inclination as a composer, i just can't imagine she would stray that far from the stylistic currents of her time. So the question remains, which recordings are to be considered "closer" to her original intentions? I guess we can discount Anonymous 4. What about Sequentia? I could stick to Peres but that seems a bit... limiting. Or maybe its just my completist obsession speaking.

[canninator]

That would seem to substantiate the claim made by Peres. Even assuming her music has this "improvisatory" quality, whether due to her lack of formal training or her inclination as a composer, i just can't imagine she would stray that far from the stylistic currents of her time. So the question remains, which recordings are to be considered "closer" to her original intentions? I guess we can discount Anonymous 4. What about Sequentia? I could stick to Peres but that seems a bit... limiting. Or maybe its just my completist obsession speaking.

I guess we'll never know what is closest to her intentions [/statement of the obvious] but we could make some reasonable inferences about what might be wishful thinking. For example, despite the beautiful results achieved in 'Feather on the Breath of God', there is no evidence that the music was intended to be performed with an accompanying drone on reeds. One might as well add harmony by organum to any performance. Peres is a big fan of the Paraphonista (I think that's the term), even in the Old Roman Chant, so I'm sure he would approve of the added drone. It would be interesting to know if anyone has recorded this with organum.

I guess I would add two caveats to my previous statements.

1. Amid all the bigging up of HvB, it is important to remember that she rarely strayed beyond 2-3 modes. In this respect her music is quite limited.
2. Looking back over the codex from the comfort of my living room there is the somewhat unusual feature of rapid ascents with slow decline but before making any statements regarding the musical effects HvB hoped to achieve, it must be remembered that the music served the Word and the Word was not incidental to any musical effects, any analysis, and in fact any performance must consider this.

I have the 'Feather on the Breath of God', Peres, and the one on Naxos. I rarely listen to the latter but the others are quality, whatever their relationship to the true nature of the music as intended.

[RJR]

I just read this site on Hildegaard and decided to do a little searching. I found this link, dated February 27, 2011, that claims to be the most thorough list of her recordings:
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:HojFMuX6OhcJ:www.medieval.org/emfaq/composers/hildegard.html+Hildegaard+von+Bingen&cd=11&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca&client=firefox-a&source=www.google.ca

If you don't know Todd McComb, he is quite an expert on Medieval music.

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

I am looking to start exploring this music. What are the best recordings to start with? I love chant and early polyphony in general, but I do not have any recordings of her music. I don't think I have much if any other sequences/sequentia either. Thanks

[Mandryka]

Strangely enough I've been listening to quite a lot of Hildegard recently.

The opening post made by Josquin des Prez is worth noting because it demonstrates that she wrote more or less syllablic strophic liturgical chant as well as freer music -- and the Ensemble Organum recording is mostly chant.

If you get interested in her songs then the voice can go loud and high, so make sure your hifi is up to it. One aspect of her freer style is that it has melismas just about all over the shop and has an unfeasibly wide ambitus and is pretty through composed-- I'm not sure whether I find it crude or expressive or both or neither.

As far as recordings go, there are famous ones by Gothic Voices and Sequentia and Anonymous 4 and others. Ordo Virtutum is a sort of drama, there is a performance on youtube and this is probably the way to experience it if you can't see it performed live. Because of possibly false ideas about her  (drug taker, lesbian, free thinker, rebel, loner, unique headstrong genius, sensual, erotic, courted danger, persecuted  etc ) she has been new-aged up and hippy-fied, you may be interested to check out the Hildagurlz.

There's a couple of documentaries about her on youtube.

To cut a long story short, much to my surprise, the recordings I've found most rewarding to hear are by Oxford Camerata. At the end of the day it's probably about the voice I like, no more interesting than that.

[Traverso]

I am looking to start exploring this music. What are the best recordings to start with? I love chant and early polyphony in general, but I do not have any recordings of her music. I don't think I have much if any other sequences/sequentia either. Thanks

http://www.youtube.com/v/WMMday6FhlI

The recordings with Sequentia are very good,just listen to this example.