Album

With this album, Schola and Ensemble devotio moderna has undertaken the task of recovering and reconstructing the musical life of the North German Walsrode Convent, which was established in the late 10th century, and then converted to a Lutheran convent during the 16th century in the wake of the Reformation. The music recorded here spans the convent's history, from the Medieval Latin chants of the Roman Church to Lutheran chorales in German. The singers are accompanied in the chants with bells, and as they move forward in history, use recorder, harp, psaltery, and lute, and finally, in the chorales, organ. The dates of the Latin chants are not given, but in their wide range, use of melisma, unconventional intervals, and the freedom with which they migrate between modes, they raise the question of whether they might have been influenced by the music of Hildegard. Some of the music is sung by soloists, and some by a small vocal ensemble, according to what the performers believe to have been the tradition in the convent. The women's voices, some trained and some not, are all pleasant and euphonious, and some of the soloists are outstanding in their purity and expressiveness. The sound is clean and clear, but not especially resonant. The CD should be of interest to fans of Medieval and Renaissance liturgical song.

© Stephen Eddins, All Music Guide

CD 1
German chorale Traditional Composer Summi patris unigenite Work Ensemble devotio moderna Ensemble
1	Summi patris unigenite	0:28			$0.99
Anonymous, German Composer Missus est per sidera Work Ensemble devotio moderna Ensemble
2	Missus est per sidera	30:14			$4.99
Anonymous, Dutch Composer Ioseph ginck van Nazareth Work Ensemble devotio moderna Ensemble
3	Ioseph ginck van Nazareth	0:51			$0.99
Anonymous, Dutch Composer Met desen nyen iaren Work Ensemble devotio moderna Ensemble
4	Met desen nyen iaren	5:10			$0.99
Gregorian Chant Composer Verbum caro factum est, responsory in mode 8 (Liber Usualis No.390) Work Ensemble devotio moderna Ensemble
5	Verbum caro factum est, responsory in mode 8 (Liber Usualis No.390)	0:46			$0.99
German chorale Traditional Composer Puer natus in Bethleem, chorale Work Ensemble devotio moderna Ensemble
6	Puer natus in Bethleem, chorale	3:18			$0.99
Dutch Traditional Composer In dulci iubilo Work Ensemble devotio moderna Ensemble
7	In dulci iubilo	2:13			$0.99
Gregorian Chant Composer Spiritus Sanctus, communion in mode 8 Work Ensemble devotio moderna Ensemble
8	Spiritus Sanctus, communion in mode 8	0:30			$0.99
Anonymous Composer Dilectus Meus (Weinhauser Liederbuch) Work Ensemble devotio moderna Ensemble
9	Dilectus Meus (Weinhauser Liederbuch)	2:51			$0.99
Anonymous Composer Munda Maria Work Ensemble devotio moderna Ensemble
10	Munda Maria	1:02			$0.99
Gregorian Chant Composer Marie virginis fecundat viscera (conductus) Work Ensemble devotio moderna Ensemble
11	Marie virginis fecundat viscera (conductus)	1:57			$0.99
Anonymous Composer Ave Maria Work Ensemble devotio moderna Ensemble
12	Ave Maria	1:13			$0.99
Anonymous, Dutch Composer Virginalis castitas Work Ensemble devotio moderna Ensemble
13	Virginalis castitas	1:32			$0.99
German chorale Traditional Composer Inveni quem diligit Work Ensemble devotio moderna Ensemble
14	Inveni quem diligit	0:29			$0.99
German chorale Traditional Composer Anima ad sanctam crucem Work Ensemble devotio moderna Ensemble
15	Anima ad sanctam crucem	6:40			$0.99
German chorale Traditional Composer Non sum ovis perdita Work Ensemble devotio moderna Ensemble
16	Non sum ovis perdita	2:56			$0.99
Gregorian Chant Composer Iesu dulcis memoria (Hymn) (Liber Cantualis, 84) Work Ensemble devotio moderna Ensemble
17	Iesu dulcis memoria (Hymn) (Liber Cantualis, 84)	2:02			$0.99
Anonymous, Italian Composer Crucifxum in carne Work Ensemble devotio moderna Ensemble
18	Crucifxum in carne	3:26			$0.99
Anonymous, Dutch Composer O quam dulciter Work Ensemble devotio moderna Ensemble
19	O quam dulciter	1:37			$0.99
Anonymous Composer Ave verum corpus Work Ensemble devotio moderna Ensemble
20	Ave verum corpus	1:07			$0.99
German chorale Traditional Composer O beata consolatio Work Ensemble devotio moderna Ensemble
21	O beata consolatio	0:25			$0.99
Anonymous, German Composer Guden rat hebbe ik vornomen Work Ensemble devotio moderna Ensemble
22	Guden rat hebbe ik vornomen	2:38			$0.99