Canticles of Ecstasy is an album of sacred vocal music written in the 12th century by the German abbess Hildegard of Bingen and recorded by the early music ensemble Sequentia that was released by the Deutsche Harmonia Mundi recording label in 1993.

The album is one of a series of recordings of the complete musical works of Hildegard by the early medieval music specialists and founders of Sequentia, Barbara Thornton and her husband Benjamin Bagby.

Canticles of Ecstasy

It was recorded between 16 and 21 June 1993 in the church of St. Pantaleon, Cologne, Germany, "at the sarcophagus of the Empress Theophanu" (d. 991).

Canticles of Ecstasy

The music is from a medieval manuscript written at Hildegard's abbey (Rupertsberger "Riesencodex" (1180–90) Wiesbaden: Hessische Landesbibliothek, MS 2) and the Latin texts are from Hildegard von Bingen, Lieder (Salzburg, 1969).

Canticles of Ecstasy

Track listing

All vocal compositions (responses and antiphons) written by Hildegard of Bingen. "O vis aeternitatis" (7:56) "Nunc aperuit nobis" (1:53) "Quia ergo femina mortem instruxit" (1:49) "Cum processit factura digiti Dei" (6:32) "Alma Redemptoris Mater" (2:10) "Ave Maria, O auctrix vite" (8:57) "Spiritus Sanctus vivificans vite" (2:15) "O ignis spiritus Paracliti" (6:17) "Caritas habundat in omnia" (2:10) "O virga mediatrix" (2:25) "O viridissima virga, Ave" (3:51) Instrumental Piece (3:30) "O Pastor Animarum" (1:18) "O tu suavissima virga" (11:12) "O choruscans stellarum" (2:37) "O nobilissima viriditas" (6:42)

Personnel

Musicians

Barbara Thornton – voice, director

Gundula Anders – voice

Pamela Dellal – voice

Elizabeth Glen – voice

Heather Knutson – voice

Laurie Monahan – voice

Susanne Norin – voice

Janet Youngdahl – voice

Elizabeth Gaver – medieval fiddle, arranger

Elisabetta de Mircovich – medieval fiddle

Benjamin Bagby – medieval harp, arranger

Recording and production personnel

Jan Hofermann – executive producer

Klaus L. Neumann – producer

Barbara Valentin – artistic recording supervisor

Martin Andrae – technical recording supervisor

Barbara Göbel – editing

Jens Markowsky – final editing

See also

Ordo Virtutum

References

Western plainchant

Early music albums

1993 albums

Hildegard of Bingen

Theophanu