Von Bingen: Sequentia’s 5th in Series

HILDEGARD VON BINGEN: “O Jerusalem.” Sequentia (Deutsche Harmonia Mundi) * * *

Some eight centuries after her death, the mystic Medieval composer Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) has struck a chord with a broad audience, having become, somewhat remarkably, one of the best-known female composers in history. Part of the popularity can be attributed to the series of recordings begun in 1982 by the early music ensemble Sequentia. For the fifth in the series, the focus is on “symphoniae” (a series of compositions) speculated to have been written for the dedication of a church built at a place called Rupertsberg, in honor of St. Rupert.

The set of mostly a cappella pieces, with a few interludes on Medieval instruments arranged by Elizabeth Gaver, opens with the rapturous title piece, adorned with the sound of church bells, and closes with the moving solemnity of “O quam magnum miraculum est.” Hildegard’s music is, as before, well served by Sequentia’s precision and dedication.

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