Newly recorded in the bright acoustic of the Cenacolo of San Giorgio Maggiore Monastery in Venice, La Reverdie brings together, for the first time, musical compositions written c. 1330-1430 in honor of the Venetian Doges, or Venice itself. + This release, whose title is borrowed from the text of a most famous Johannes Ciconia-composed motet, includes the nine ceremonial motets written – according to recent research – to commemorate political, diplomatic or devotional events as well the election of the Doge, by, among others, da Padova, Landini, Ciconia, Romanus, de Monte and Lantins.

In August 1986 two pairs of young sisters (Claudia and Livia Caffagni, and Elisabetta and Ella de Mircovich) founded the ensemble La Reverdie. The name, derived from a poetic genre that celebrates the return of Spring, reveals perhaps the principal trait of a group that, for 30 years now, has captivated audiences and critics alike for the variety in its approach to the vast and varied musical repertoire of Middle Ages and early Renaissance.

To mark the ensemble's 30th anniversary, Arcana has brought together in a single release all of the themed projects that, over the years, La Reverdie has devoted to various aspects of Medieval culture. From the image of femininity to courtly love, from the music in Medieval thought to the symbolism of light and darkness, each theme developed in this musical collection- an excellent introduction to Medieval music- explores specific repertoires from different points of view, either geographical or literary and philosophical. A journey of discovery that, by virtue of the issues addressed and the freshness of their approach, gives the listener the idea that music in Middle Ages is a fantastic kaleidoscope of sounds and words which reflect the spirit of the time. The history of Europe itself resounds in this anthology of music between 13th and 15th centuries; Latin and vernacular poetry, as well as monody and polyphony, voices and instruments feature a colorful and bright artistic landscape.

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REVIEW:

This is the box to have if it comes to Music of the Middle Ages. The musicians of La Reverdie are all masters in their game, and make it sound absolutely authentic in every way. Singing chanting speaking, it's all done with a great feel for the drama, but they never overdo it. It all comes quite naturally to all of them, and are helped by a state of the art recording.

– Harry’s Classical Music Corner (Harry van der Wal)

Winter feasts like the Latin Saturnalia and the Germanic Yule, airborne gift-giving figures like the Norse Odinn Jólnir, the Slavic Ded Moroz, the Dutch Sinterklaas: from time immemorial December skies have been rather busy. Pagan patterns were readapted to Christianity – and a canonised bishop from fourth-century Asia Minor, Nikolaos, whose feast occurred near the winter solstice, merged with another bearded benefactor. Wotan’s hood and Nicholas’s mitre were mixed up, and by the nineteenth century Santa Claus was ready to don new red and white robes and to deliver toys on both sides of the Atlantic. The pieces on this recording (mainly from a thirteenth-century English manuscript) belong to the liturgy for the eve of the Feast of St Nicholas: they allude to his picturesque feats, such as the rescue of three needy maidens or the taming of a storm. Readings and additional songs come from the repertory associated with this widely popular saint, celebrated throughout the Middle Ages from Italy to Iceland. Originally released in 1998, this joint performance by La Reverdie and Cantori Gregoriani received enthusiastic reviews in several music magazines: ‘For those who want to enjoy some of the best liturgical singing this is highly recommended’ (Early Music, 1999).

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

2013 will mark the 600th anniversary of the birth of Saint Catherine of Bologna (1413). La Reverdie have discovered the repertory of laude sung by the Saint and her sisters and have placed it in it's original context. The skillful combination of rich and varied instrumental sonorities together with crystal clear feminine vocality perfectly conveys the simple freshness and arcane fascination of this unexplored repertory.

A musical-poetic genre first developed by Saint Francis of Assisi, the Lauda is one of the most remarkable expressions of Italian popular musical culture from the Middle Ages to the present day, and one of the oldest historically. + La Reverdie presents a rich, 2CD anthology of Italian monophonic Laude from the repertoire’s two principal sources: the Cortona (ca. 1270) and Florence (ca. 1320) manuscripts. + Many of the Florence pieces have never been recorded. + The accompanying booklet contains detailed introductory essays on the music’s reconstruction and wider cultural significance.

Classical Music

This selection's booklet contains the original Latin text with translations in German, French, Italian and English.
Recording information: La congrégation "Sacra Familia" à Martinengo, Bergamo (04/08/1996-04/12/1996).

With Lux laetitiae, La Reverdie continues its discographical journey after the success of its most recent production devoted to Francesco Landini: from the Florence of the great blind composer of the fourteenth century, to the splendor of the Este court in fifteenth-century Ferrara! The program presents twelve pieces from an important codex that belonged to the court, in which fashionable composers such as Guillaume Dufay and John Dunstaple tried their hand at the motet genre. The performances combine six voices with a rich array of instruments and aim to reproduce the resplendent sound of the Este cappella at the time of Lionello and Borso, passionate patrons who attracted to Ferrara many talented artists charged with adorning the court with art, beauty and harmony. An exploration of the prolific tradition of the Marian cult which, from the twelfth century onwards, was manifested in an extraordinary wealth of musical forms and which, in the fifteenth century, resulted in grandiose compositions that can still captivate us today with their complexity and fascination.

REVIEWS:

[The] music presented here is neither dry nor academic. It’s drawn from a 15th-century codex that belonged to the Este court in Ferrara, which contains motets by an odd assortment of four composers: the Franco-Flemish masters Gilles Binchois and Guillaume Dufay, and the English composers Leonel Power and John Dunstaple; all four are important figures of the early Renaissance period. You’ll hear hints of ars nova in Dufay’s setting of Flos forum, and Power’s soft but powerful Salve Regina misericordie slowly builds a mesmerizing melody line and then adds harmony as the work progresses, to quietly spectacular effect. As always, the La Reverdie ensemble imbue everything they perform with a golden light. Highly recommended to all collections.

-- The CD Hotlist