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’Apocalypse - The Revelation of the St. John’Music from the medieval spanish manuscript Codex Las
Huelgas confronted with the contemporary jazz music The beginning of the 13th century was quite important for the
history of the West European music. By the tradition of the vocal
polyphonic, almost iprovisational practice of “organum purum” based on
the gregorian chant, is possible to find a new style of well fixed
polyphonic music. Though this music is a big call appeal for the
improvisation! In manuscripts the melodic and rhytmic course of the
pieces is marked out by the notation, but the cast of the voices and
how to work with is, for sure within certain limits, open and full of
possibilities. That's why we have chosen this repertoire for the cross
connection between the vocal ensemble intepreting the medieval music
with jazz instruments. The jazz trio is getting in to the position of a
substitute of medieval instruments and to the position of a musical
narrator of the story, that is not included in texts of the plainchant
and polyphonic pieces interpreted by the women voices. The story is the
Apocalypse – The Revelation of the St. John, that was quite popular in
the Middle Ages on the Iberian Island and is always current because of
its mysticism and divination of the end of the world. So we are forming
an incorporation of a “conservative” improvisational practice of the
Middle Ages with jazz improvisation of the 21st century. Co-star David
Dorůžka - guitar, Marcel Bárta - saxophone, Martin Novák - percussion ’Flos inter spinas – Blossom among thorns’The lives of Saints Margaret, Barbara and Catherine in a
medieval plainchant and polyphonic pieces. The programme presents the legends of the lives of the holy
virgins,
as preserved in the Benedictine and Cisterian manuscripts, representing
the late medieval choral repertoire of Bohemia.
It is composed from chosen parts of the offices to the saints Katherine
of Alexandria, Barbora and Margret.
Plainchant pieces in this concert programme are complemented by
polyphonic motets from the
thirteenth and fourteenth centuries taken from the La Clayette and
Bamberg codex with the accompaniment of gothic harp. CD available! ’Diaphonia’The birth of the polyphony At the end of the 9th century there has started a huge turn in
european music history – first treatises about a creation of improvised
polyphonic music were founded. Sacred music was breaking out of the
dominance of monophonic music – of the western plainchant – and there
has started lenghty period of fascination by harmony and its numerical
formulation. The 10th century tried to find a term for establishing
those allowed consonances – coming in paralel fourth, fifth and octave
at first – it means a term for the polyphony as such. One of those
terms was organum, which is used in musicology until today. The synonym
of this term is diaphonia. This term we can find in the treatises from
the 9th century of Hucbald of St. Amand. The concert programme presents
the birth of the polyphony as we can find in the main european
manuscripts from the end of the 10th century, progress of early organum
in the 11th century flourishing in the parisian Notre – Dame Cathedral
in hands of Magister Leoninus and filling up in the monumental pieces
of his successor Magister Perotinus. ‘Ego sum homo’Musical visions of Hildegard of Bingen Hildegard of Bingen is one of the most expressive women of the
Middle Ages. Her influence in various spheres of human activities was
enormous, and likewise in the sphere of music. As Hildegarda was
ignored by the academic world in her epoch, now she is starting to be
an established authority in the field of mysticism, music, literature,
medicine etc. Holding of her music is a great challenge for every
musician. There are many music pieces of Hildegarda but for this
concert programme we have chosen her plainchant compositions from the
Riesencodex manuscript, which contains about 77 of her compositions.
These are in fact very difficult, melismatic and masterly compositions,
which we perform mainly with solo voices accompanied by the gothic
harp. The concert programme is something like a musical manifest of
medieval technical virtuosity, that is not enough valued in our time. „Marianum“Unique project of Berg Orchestra and Tiburtina
Ensemble Slavomíř Hořínka: Litaniae Lauretanae, Magnificat (2012),
Arvo Pärt: Stabat Mater (1985) „François Couperin (1668 – 1733): Messe propre pour les couvents“Co-star: Eva Bublova - organ Organ mass is typical french musical genre of 17th and 18th
century. It is based on alternation of organ sections (often in number
of 20) with plainchant. Very close structure of this musical form is
clearly set by structure of Ordo missae. Longer and developed organ
entrances comes only in offertory, Deo Gratias, alternatively at
communion. In the short organ entrances, titled and specified by
typical french registration (plein jeu, grand jeu, basse de trompette,
recit de cromorne, recit de tierce, cornet) we can admire very
inventive harmonies, dancing grace and orchestral effects. For sure we
can find this in works of great composers like François Couperin and
Nicolas de Grigny are. Coulourful universe of the french baroque that
loves different moods, were the most important thing is “le bon gout”
(good taste) and “l'esprit” (spirit), stands in contrast to italian
virtuosity and german counterpointal rational thinking. François
Couperin's (1668 - 1733) Messe propre pour les couvents (Proper mass
for convents) is in this case kind of a jewel. Moreover there is not
used any musical citation of the plainchant, so you can use any
gregorian mass ordinary for the alternation, any that is in the same
modality and style. In its history western plainchant has reflected new
emerging musical styles. Perhaps it was the most noticeable during the
baroque period – in the manner of accompanied monody we can find
harmonization of plainchant, in french baroque music specifical
ornaments. The western plainchant get the real taste of “powder” and
“courtesy”, so typical for french baroque music. Registrations required
by composers can't be ignored. It's not easy to find right and matching
instrument, especially in the Central Europe. ’Speculum Absconditum’Reverence for St. Lambert in benedictine monasteries in
Central Europe From its establishment in the 10th century the female benedictine monastery of St. George at the Prague Castle have represented the principle liturgical and cultural center in Czech lands. Especially from the end of the 13th and beginning of the 14th century there are preserved interesting liturgical manuscripts that are reflective of the liturgical office image in the most important period of the monastery – the period of abbess Kunigunde of Bohemia, member of the Přemyslid dynasty. Among these manuscripts belongs both czech manuscripts we have used the repertory of St. Lambert's office for - the antiphonary NK XIII.C.7 and the breviary of Kunigunde of Bohemia NK XII.D.9. These manuscripts comes with the image of sanctorale in the St. George's tradition of the end of the 13th century. The repertory of the office for St. Lambert's feast in the antiphonary NK XIII.C.7 is not unique in the european context at all, but is unique in the context of St. George's manuscripts and the Prague diocese as well. The european concordances we can find in cathedral manuscripts from Aachen, Utrecht and Cambrai f.e. The music of the office is older then the music of the St. Lambert's repertory from the other manuscript we have used – the antiphonary Graz, Universitätsbibliothek, 30 (Graz 30) from the Abbey of Sankt Lambrecht (Steiermark, Austria). Unlike the czech manuscript NK XIII.C. 7 the austrian comes with music for the office of the St. Lambert's feast (same as the czech one) and its octave and the feast of St. Lambert's “Translatio”, which we can't find in the St. George's manuscripts. The music of this office is much more younger then that in the NK XIII.C.7 tradition. We can find new kind of poetry (antiphons O martyr gaude and Hic meritis clarus), the melodic lines are different and responsory verses come with new music, not with the old style modal verses melodies (f.e. responsory Beatus Lambertus). The only concordances that we find between this two manuscripts are these two – antiphon Magna vox laude sonora from first vespers and invitatory Eternum trinumque from matins. As we can see the mirror of the native reverence for St. Lambert is not straight in the Central Europe. We can find two traditions for sure – the first one which is reflected in the antiphonary NK XIII.C.7 and which comes from the area of today's Belgium and the Netherlands - and the second one which is reflected in the antiphonary Graz 30 and is widespread in the area of today's Austria. |
‘Ad monumentum venimus..!‘medieval liturgical play Visitatio Sepulchri in the
tradition of women benedictine convent of St George at the Prague
Castle. The St. George Convent at the Prague Castle was founded in 976
AD by Mlada - sister of the czech king Boleslav II. She became the
abbess of the very first benedictine convent in Bohemia. From that
time, this convent was closely connected with the czech royal family,
women from the royal family were the most important leading persons of
the women Benedictine order in Bohemia. For example in 1348 the well
known czech king, emperor Charles IV. gave to all St. George abbesses
the privilege of using the title Princess and privilege of crowning
czech queens. Very important and flourished was the period of the
sister of the King Wenceslas II., the abbess Kunhuta, who was in
function from 1302 till 1321. She was celebrated not only because of
stabilizing liturgy and other meaningful acts but also because of
subvention of very significant convent scriptorium which made lot of
well done manuscripts. It's needed to say, that the convent formed the
primary musical ways of gregorian chant and its polyphonic forms in
Bohemia. Three Marys at the empty tomb of the Christ - that is the main
image of medieval liturgical play Visitatio Sepulchri - Visitation of
the Christ's sepulchre. This play was one of the most important
elements of the divine office liturgy for the feast of the Resurrection
at the women benedictine convent of St George at the Prague Castle.
Benedictine nuns had hand down this play in manuscripts from the 12th
century. Especially in the period of the Abbess Kunhuta had the play
great importance in the convent liturgy. The music of the play is quite
scenic, it's accompanied by other gregorian and polyphonic pieces that
can review us individual biblical characters and scenes. With this
concert programme we would like to remind not only the top of the
liturgical year but also the women who accompanied the Christ in his
last days how we can find them in the rich bohemian tradition. ‘My Lord, why have you left me?’The concert programme is a kind of gregorian meditation
about
the last
days of Jesus Christ’s life. It derives from the choral repertoire of
the mass proper chants from the Palm Sunday and Holy Week liturgy. It
contains both simple antiphons, and complicated melismatic forms such
as gradual and tractus, also the solo lamentations of Jeremiah the
Prophet and the responsories of the Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and
Holy Saturday matins. A reading from the literary heritage of church
fathers can also be added to the plainchant programme. ‘In illa die – Advent music of the Middle Ages’The concert programme is made of proper chant pieces from
Advent
Sundays taken from Bohemian thirteenth century sources and thirteenth
and fourteenth century polyphonic compositions from Bohemian and
European manuscripts. The integral part of this program is the organ’s
improvisation on the musical themes of the performed pieces. ‘Reverence to the Saints of the Bohemian Middle Ages’The concert programme introduces two of the most honoured
saints of the Bohemian Middle Ages – St. Wenceslas and
St. Ludmila. It is composed from plainchant and organal pieces
taken from the divine offices of these two saints. These pieces were
extracted from manuscripts found at the St George’s convent at Prague
Castle at the turn of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. This
programme is complemented by polytextual motets from Bohemian sources
of the same period. ‘Corona Spinea’Feast of the Crown of Thorns in the gregorian chant
repertoire of the 13th and 14th century The Crown of Thorns is one of the most venerated relics of
Jesus Christ. In 1239 the french king Lewis IX. brought the saintly
relics from Constantinople to Paris and built for the well-know gothic
Saint Chapelle. From that time the Cistercians have started to
celebrate the feast of Translation of the Crown of Thorns (11th of
August). The feast was transformated during the history, without any
obligation we celebrate it nowadays on Friday before the Ash Wednesday.
The Crown of Thorns was removed form the Saint Chapell and is deposited
at the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. In the Middle Ages there was a
very significant reverence to this relicts. Especially in the
plainchant we can find lot of music made for. During the 13th and 14th
century two thorns of the venerated crown had been removed from, french
kings have presented them to czech kings later. There is a legend that
one of the Thorns is a part of the bohemian coronation crown. Because
of that we have a very special plainchant repertoire in Bohemia
glorifying the saint relics and the translation of them. The concert
programme is something like a music description of the journey of the
holy relics from Constantinople to Prague. There is a music that could
be sung during the procession to Paris, then during the initiation of
the relics to the one of the most sacred place of Christians, parisian
Saint – Chapelle, and at the end the music that could be heared at the
Prague cathedral, when the relics came in. We would like to present the
music of the feast of the Crown of Thorns as well, but also the
approach of the medieval man in case of the veneration of halidoms and
holy relics. ‘Charlemagne’Charles the Great and Charles IV. - The Roman Emperors The programme comes with music created for the celebration of the Roman Emperor Charles the Great – the unique bohemian plainchant divine office for the Carolus Magnus, that was constituted by the Pope by request of the bohemian king and roman Emperor Charles IV. This plainchant office was part of the liturgy at the Prague Castle, where the Emperor was settled. The programme shows the music of the 14th century at the Bohemian, but emperor background – music that is uniquely Bohemian, but influenced from the West tradition. ‘Regina caeli laetare!’The roots of Marian piety comes from the 4th century AD. But the concept of the Virgin Mary in Christianity is changing and regarded in different views. In the Middle Ages, the Virgin Mary became not only a symbol of faith, but also of justice and knightly culture. Medieval art is closely related to her conception in society, that is why we find a very comprehensive collection of works of Marian themes, both for liturgical service, and for traditional and court cult. Over the centuries there were established many Marian feasts for liturgical year. For example, from the 7th century we celebrate the Birth of Our Lady, the Assumption, the Visitation, the Annunciation, the Purification of Our Lady (or Candlemas) and the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary and other feasts. The programme offers a selection of repertoire of the Holy Virgin feasts, thus becoming a mention of the strong Marian tradition, which impressed people's lives for centuries. |
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