Abelard: Chants for Heloise

12th-Century Chant

Abelard: hymns and sequences for Heloise
Schola Gregoriana of Cambridge - Mary Berry
Herald 168

Contents:

1. O quanta qualia (4 men)
2. Dolorum solatium (4 men)
3. Benedictine: Suscipe (4 men)
4. Mater salvatoris (3 women)
5. Ne derelinquas me (3 women)
6. Liturgical drama: Sponsus (children, 4 men)
7. Epithalamica (3 women)
8. Magnus salutis gaudium (3 women)
9. St. Bernard: Quam pium (3 men)
10. Cistercian: Fulcite me floribus (3 women)
11. Cistercian: Dum esset Rex (3 women)
12. De Profundis (4 men)
13. Lai: Samson dux fortissime (4 men)

Performers: Caroline Ashton, Ruth Holton, Olive Simpson, John Bowley, William Lee, Michael McCarthy, John Rowlands-Pritchard, Winchester Cathedral Choristers

Playing time: 79'

Recording date: February-May 1993

Peter Abelard (1079-1142) was one of the most famous scholars, poets, composers, and personalities of the era. Though a large volume of his writing survives, including many hymns, only a handful of his melodies have been reconstructed. In fact, until recently this handful was only two. Now there are a few more. While Hildegard is certainly more famous to us today (and indeed much more of her music has survived), Abelard had far more influence during his lifetime, and would have been the better-known figure only 20 years ago. Their musical styles are broadly similar.

This recording is filled out by some other pieces of the era (genres/sources prefixed before the colon above). All of these pieces are monophonic, though the drama is a bit more complicated in its conception.

Other recordings by the present ensemble:

Anglo-Saxon Christmas

10th-century Chant from the Winchester Troper
Schola Gregoriana of Cambridge - Mary Berry
Herald 151

Gregorian Chant - Pentecôte à Pontigny

Music in honour of three Archibishops of Canterbury
Schola Gregoriana of Cambridge - Mary Berry
Herald 161

Angels from the Vatican

The Invisible made Visible - Gregorian Chant
Schola Gregoriana of Cambridge - Mary Berry
Herald 220

Tu es Petrus

Gregorian Chant from the Vatican
Schola Gregoriana of Cambridge - Mary Berry, dir.
Herald 245

Machaut: Missa de Nostre Dame

Schola Gregoriana of Cambridge - Mary Berry
Herald 312

Anglo-Saxon Easter

Chants and tropes for the Mass on Easter day from the Winchester Troper
Schola Gregoriana of Cambridge - Mary Berry
Archiv 413 546 [LP]

And a related ensemble:

The Coming Of Christ

Gloriæ Dei Cantores - Mary Berry
Gloriæ Dei 033

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