The Red Book / Bartholomew Faire
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Astrolabe Records 001
2003
[75:00]
1. O Virgo Splendens [3:04]
LV 1
2. Stella Splendens [6:50]
LV 2
3. Laudemus Virginem [3:52]
LV 3
4. Sing Together [2:40]
LV 6
5. Polorum Regina [7:30]
LV 7
6. Imperayritz de la Ciutat Joyosa [9:18]
LV 9
7. Splendens Ceptigera [3:35]
LV 4
8. The Seven Joys [3:46]
LV 5
9. Mariam Matrem Virginem [6:52]
LV 8
10. Cuncti Simus Concanentes [7:33]
LV 6
11. Los Set Gotxs [10:27]
LV 5
12. The Empress [2:28]
LV 9
13. Ad Mortem Festinamus [7:53]
LV 10
© 2003 Bartholomew Faire
℗ 2003 Stefan Dollak / Bartholomew Faire
The Red Book features all ten songs from Montserrat Monastery
Library's Manuscript #1, popularly called Llibre Vermell ("The Red
Book") because of the red velvet cover given to the codex during the
late 19th century. The songs in this remarkable medieval manuscript
were written down during the late 14th century, selected by the monks of
Montserrat as being appropriate for the pilgrims who made their way to
the shrine to the Virgin Mary there. Since this was a time when dancing
was an acceptable form of worship, the manuscript indicates several of
these songs as 'round dances' and are played as such with the usual
Bartholomew Faire aplomb: driving rhythms, arcane instruments, flights
of improvisational ornamentation and lusty vocals.
There are several styles of medieval music represented in The Red
Book. The disc opens with a fascinating plainchant which turns into a
round with unusual harmonies. "Stella Splendens" is a grand
processional. "Laudemus Virginem" and "Splendens Ceptigera" are minimal
compositions with amazing arrangement and improvisational
possibilities. "Polorum Regina" and "Los Set Gotxs" are presented as
hypnotic trance music, while "Cuncti Simus Concanentes" and the various
instrumentals are driving dance tunes. The disc concludes with the
oldest surviving danse macabre (dance of death): "Ad Mortem Festinamus."
Bartholomew Faire, directed by Stefan Dollak, was formed in 1996
(then called "Musica Ficta") as an open-ended early music performance
group dedicated to presenting medieval and renaissance music with lively
authenticity. Bartholomew Faire focuses on the unwritten aspects of
ancient music performance, such as interpretation, improvisation and
interpolation (fleshing out minimal fragments of music). Stefan selects
and arranges the repertory in thematic and symbolic ways, using aspects
of contemporary disciplines like medieval numerology, astronomy,
literature and popular culture to devise a logical sequence to
Bartholomew Faire's presentation of ancient music.
The musicians are:
Stefan Dollak — voice, lute, hurdy-gurdies (organistrum &
simfony), recorder, pipe & tabor, pipe & string drum, ocarina,
cornemuse.
Danielle Franklin — voice, harps, pipe & timbrel.
Jim De Fazio — voice, lute, guittern, tabor.
Irene Rosenthal — recorders, bowed psaltery.
Robin Rio — voice, riq, daf, bell, tabor.
Renee Guillory — voice, zils.
Debra Jo Davey — voice, organ, tabor.
Jeffrey Davey — voice, string drum, tambourine.
Valarie Vousden — voice, tambourine.
John Vousden — voice, tabor.