The musical oeuvre of the 12th-century Benedictine abbess Hildegard von Bingen constitutes a special branch within the Gregorian tradition of the Rhineland, what with its many melismata, its wide-ranging tone gamut, and its personal touch in the shaping of melody. To this music, which sounds otherworldly, is added yet another touch by medievalist Marcel Pérès. On the basis of musicological research Pérès has decided to make his female singers use their chest voice. The result differs considerably from traditional interpretations. At last we get in touch with the grounds for existence of Hildegard’s songs, i.e. to penetrate into a deeper spiritual world through ‘ruminatio’ (chewing things over). Get steeped into this contemplative medieval song practice and become a firsthand witness of this masterly sample of musical archaeology!

Performers
Marcel Pérès, artistic direction