Album

You'd never know it from the gorgeous packaging, but this is a reissue, the original album having appeared in 1989. The German medieval group Estampie has since gone on to forge a distinctive performance style influenced by modern electronic genres, but at this point it was still playing it relatively straight. Even here, however, the sound was innovative; well in advance of the Spanish musicians who have explored a heavily Arab-influenced sound in medieval secular song, the group employs the tar, saz, and oud and favor textures dominated by plucked strings and fairly elaborate improvisation. The "songs of women" billing on the cover does not indicate female composers, although the title work was indeed by twelfth century female troubadour Beatriz de Dia. The songs are not by women but about women, songs of courtly love, written from a woman's point of view. This genre was popular enough to have its own designation all over Western Europe—cantiga de amigo in Iberia, chanson de femme (or chanson de toile) in France, and Frauenstrophe in German lands. Examples from all three languages are included here, with summaries in English and German (including where medieval German is the original language), but no translations. The woman involved is generally pining away for a knight who is errant in either love or war, but sometimes she is in love and enjoying it, and in one song from the Carmina Burana collection on which Carl Orff later based his choral masterwork she is boasting about her sexual exploits. It's sort of a shame not to have a translation on hand for this, but listeners with some modern German will be able to work it out. The music steers a middle path between decorum and excess, avoiding a heavily rhythmic treatment but never lacking enthusiasm. Other recordings have explored the rather slender repertory of surviving songs of this type, but this one still sounds great, and its reissue is welcome.

© James Manheim, All Music Guide

CD 1
Walther von der Vogelweide Composer Under den linden an der heide (Beneath the linden on the heath), song Work Estampie - Münchner Ensemble Für Frühe Musik Ensemble
1	Under den linden an der heide (Beneath the linden on the heath), song	4:26			$0.99
Anonymous, Carmina Burana Composer Ich was ein chint so wolgetan, CB 185 Work Estampie - Münchner Ensemble Für Frühe Musik Ensemble
2	Ich was ein chint so wolgetan, CB 185	4:04			$0.99
Anonymous, Manuscrit du Roi Composer La Tierche Estampie Real, for consort Work Estampie - Münchner Ensemble Für Frühe Musik Ensemble
3	La Tierche Estampie Real, for consort	3:38			$0.99
Oswald von Wolkenstein Composer Los, Frau und Hör Work Estampie - Münchner Ensemble Für Frühe Musik Ensemble
4	Los, Frau und Hör	2:20			$0.99
Martin Codax Composer Ondas de mar de Vigo, cantiga de amigo (music missing) Work Estampie - Münchner Ensemble Für Frühe Musik Ensemble
5	Ondas de mar de Vigo, cantiga de amigo (music missing)	4:06			$0.99
Martin Codax Composer Mia irmana fremosa, cantiga for voice and accompaniment Work Estampie - Münchner Ensemble Für Frühe Musik Ensemble
6	Mia irmana fremosa, cantiga for voice and accompaniment	4:22			$0.99
Beatriz de Dia (aka Comtessa de Dia) Composer A chantar m'er de so qu'en no volria, song Work Estampie - Münchner Ensemble Für Frühe Musik Ensemble
7	A chantar m'er de so qu'en no volria, song	6:41			$0.99
Thibault IV, King of Navarre Composer Dame, Merci Work Estampie - Münchner Ensemble Für Frühe Musik Ensemble
8	Dame, Merci	4:55			$0.99
Anonymous, Italian Composer Isabella Work Estampie - Münchner Ensemble Für Frühe Musik Ensemble
9	Isabella	6:52			$0.99
Audefroi le Bastart Composer Bele Ysabiauz Work Estampie - Münchner Ensemble Für Frühe Musik Ensemble
10	Bele Ysabiauz	6:56			$0.99
Anonymous, Trouvères Composer Por coi me bait mes maris, monophonic malmariée, Rayn.1564 Work Estampie - Münchner Ensemble Für Frühe Musik Ensemble
11	Por coi me bait mes maris, monophonic malmariée, Rayn.1564	2:40			$0.99
Guillaume de Machaut Composer Lasse! comment oublieray/Se j'aim mon loyal/Pour quoy me bat mes maris?, motet for 3 voices Work Estampie - Münchner Ensemble Für Frühe Musik Ensemble
12	Lasse! comment oublieray/Se j'aim mon loyal/Pour quoy me bat mes maris?, motet for 3 voices	1:52			$0.99
Anonymous, Italian Composer Ghaetta (An Istampita) (14th cent.) Work Estampie - Münchner Ensemble Für Frühe Musik Ensemble
13	Ghaetta (An Istampita) (14th cent.)	7:11			$1.49
Guillaume de Machaut Composer Moult sui de bonne heure nee, virelai for 2 voices Work Estampie - Münchner Ensemble Für Frühe Musik Ensemble
14	Moult sui de bonne heure nee, virelai for 2 voices	5:27			$0.99