Rosas - medieval organ improvisations and Marian songs

 
    Until recently the 'medieval organ' existed in our imagination only as a picture. There's a very important reason that the manner in which these early organs were played was a riddle: there is little or nothing left of medieval musical notation that seems to refer to 'organ music'.

Now that the first successful playable reconstruction of a medieval organ has been made, we can try to rediscover the missing links in the earliest organ tradition. The improvisations played on this CD are a first step in this direction.


 
1.  Phrygic improvisation  
2.  Rosas das rosas e Fror des frores (Cantiga de Santa Maria 10) [source: Ms. El Escorial B.I.2 (circa 1270)]  
3.  Lydian improvisation after a textless motet [source of the motet: Ms. London BM Harlianus 978 (middle 13th century)]  
4.  Verbum bonum et suave (Mariasequence) [source: Ms. Utrecht UB 417 (13th century), Ms. Cim I 39 Oldenburger Landesbibliothek (ca. 1445)]  
5.  Kyrie improvisation    
6.  Kyrie [source: Antifonale Monasticum (10th century)]  
7.  Caritas abundat in omnia (antiphone), Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) [source: Ms. 9, Abbey of Dendermonde]  
8.  Cantus de Domina post Cantum Aaliz (lai) [source: London British Library, Ms. Arundel 248 (13th century)]  
9.  Dorian improvisation 1    
10.  Flos Vernalis [source: Lochamer Liederbuch (1452)]  
11.  Dorian improvisation 2    

                                           
   
 

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