Lost Songs of a Rhineland Harper
Presuming it wasn't always religion or lovesickness, what did people sing about in the 10th and 11th centuries? The answer is presented here by the small group known as Sequentia, in a program of songs which were found in a 1000-year-old collection at Cambridge University, songs that had been copied down by Augustinian monks. The subjects vary from re-telling the complete myth of Orpheus and Eurydice (in 10 minutes!) to one about King David, to a lover's tale of the appearance, at night, of her dead darling. Along the way there are songs about how good it is to sing, a dialogue between a man and the nun he is trying to seduce (actually, there are a few "seduction" songs here), one about the three German emperors named Otto and more. There are three singers---occasionally all are involved at once, at times there are duets, several are solos. A harp, lyre, and, occasionally, flute are used as accompaniments. While one can hardly expect toe-tappers, this fascinating collection is incredibly catchy; the three singers are expressive storytellers who sing in a natural, non-operatic manner, and the style, though unfamiliar, is riveting. Recommended---a fine curiosity.--Robert Levine