Metropolitan Museum of Art: Music of Byzantium
Composer: Byzas,
Byzantine
Chant, Manuel
Chrysaphes, Guillaume
Dufay, Xenos
Koronis, et al.
Audio CD (June 1, 2004)
Number of Discs: 1
Label: Cappella Romana
ASIN: B0002A2WH2
In-Print Editions: MP3
Download
This is the second in a series of 3 related reviews: THE GLORY
OF BYZANTIUM, MUSIC OF BYZANTIUM, and THE FALL OF CONSTANTINOPLE. I see that
these same CD's are being offered as a special triad set. I gave THE GLORY OF
BYZANTIUM a "rave" review.
MUSIC OF BYZANTIUM gets another one.
This CD is produced by The Metropolitan Museum of Art & performed by
Cappella Romano. The music is somewhat more austere than GLORY OF BYZANTIUM,
but certainly no less beautiful. It is a sampler of Byzantine music from 1261
to 1557.
#1 Kantakion ("To you, my champion") is a remakable song, its text
indicating possible allusions to various theological sources: "To you my
Champion and Commander/I your city saved from disasters dedicate/O Mother of
God, hymns of victory and thanksgiving/but as you have unassailable might from
every kind of danger/ now deliver me, that I may cry to you/ Hail Bride without
bridegroom."
The opening salutation could be seen as representing remnants of the Mithra
Military Cult that at one time was the main competitor to Early Christianity.
The invocation to "Mother of God" emphasizes the close, almost Pagan
veneration of the Feminine Principle in the Eastern and Orthodox Christian
traditions. The phrase "Hail Bride without bridegroom" is intriguing.
Not only does it again accent the concept of Female Divinity, but also suggests
a possible Gnostic coloration, with its central image of The Sacred Marriage.
Another aspect of the CD that is really lovely is its very subtle "wall of
vocal background sound." You can almost miss it, it is that delicate. To
me it sounds like an almost Byzantine form of Tibetan chant. Cappella Romano is
obviously a superlative vocal group.
This second CD in the triad is definitely as worthy as the first.
Well, 2 down & 1 to go!
Review: JEFarrow
Updated 02/09