1969
Supraphon 112 0817
1972
Soli Deo Gloria SDG 610 901
1969
House of Artists, Prague
A
1 - Fulgent nunc natalitia [1:36]
2 - Alma redemptoris Mater [2:51]
3 - Aptatur
(Improvizace) [1:15]
4 - Ons is gheboren nu ter tijt
5 - Sanctissima, mitissima
6 - Aptatur
(Improvizace)
7 - Ecce quod natura [2:34]
8 - Dies est laetitiae [1:46]
9 - Aptatur
(Improvizace) [0:39]
10 - Alleluja, panna syna porodila [1:10]
11 - In natali Domini [2:46]
B
1 - Illuminare, Jerusalem
2 - Stella nuova 'n fra la gente
3 - Danielis prophetia
4 - Aptatur
(Improvizace) [1:06]
5 - Eja martyr Stephane [2:24]
6 - Salve lux fidelium [1:03]
7 - Sophia nasci fertur [1:32]
8 - Aptatur
(Improvizace) [1:05]
9 - Alleluja, a newë work [2:55]
10 - Else, else, else [1:36]
11 - Aptatur
(Improvizace) [2:37]
Prague Madrigal Singers
Miroslav Venhoda
Chamber Ensemble of the Prague National Museum
Jaroslav Vodrážka • organ
Another release:
Alteuropäische Weihnacht
SDG, 1972
#1-3, 7-11, 15-22
Christmas Carols of European Nations
CD, 1988
Carols for 1971
Gramophone review – December 1971
That Christmas records
usually, inevitably, and quite rightly tend towards carols and hymns
which have become established favourites makes any record which departs
from this pattern of all the greater interest and value. Such a one is "Christmas
Carols of Old Europe" presented by the Prague Madrigal
Singers conducted by Miroslav Venhoda. In his brief sleeve-note Mr
Venhoda tells us that is has long been an ambition of his to present a
picture of the Europe of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries and its
Christian dream of unity. For his material he has gone to manuscripts
of his own country, with others from Holland, Germany, England, Spain
and elsewhere, many of them seemingly in his own collection. A leaflet
gives the original texts with abbreviated translations into English,
French and German. It is a delightful selection, beautifully sung to
accompaniments of 'period' or 'period-style' instruments, and admirably
recorded.
Interpolated here and there between the carols are a series of organ
improvisations on the theme Aptatur from the Codex
de las Huelgas played by Jaroslav Vodrázka. There
are half a dozen of these improvisations, varying in length from a
trifle over half a minute to a minute and a half. It is a lovely theme
upon which to meditate. The Huelgas Codex is a highly important Spanish
collection of medieval vocal music, both polyphonic and melodic, copied
between the later thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries for use in
the Cistercian Convent of Las Huelgas (Burgos). It is particularly rich
in the music of Spain, France and England, the last by reason of the
fact that the convent was founded by Alphonse VIII of Castile (115812
14), whose consort was Eleanor of England.
Let no-one think that this record is only for students of ars antiqua.
I am quite sure that those who venture to buy it will find themselves
rehearing many of these lovely melodies again and again, as I shall. I
am not qualified to say much about the authenticity of the presentation
but the sound falls delectably on my ears. The sixteen carols and six
improvisations are grouped into seven tracks (Supraphon 112 0817).
[…]
W. A. C.