Llibre Vermell de Montserrat
Encyclopedia
Medieval music
Medieval music is Western music written during the Middle Ages. This era begins with the fall of the Roman Empire and ends sometime in the early fifteenth century...
. The 14th century manuscript was compiled in and is still located at the monastery of Montserrat outside Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
in Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
.
The manuscript
The manuscript was prepared in approximately 1399. It originally contained 172 double pages, of which 32 have been lost. 6 folios contain music. The title "The Red Book of Montserrat" describes the red binding in which the collection was placed in the 19th century. No composer is identified for any of the songs it contains.The monastery holds the shrine
Shrine
A shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated....
of the Virgin of Montserrat
Virgin of Montserrat
The Virgin of Montserrat is a statue of the Virgin Mary and infant Christ venerated at the Santa Maria de Montserrat monastery in the Montserrat mountain in Catalonia....
, which was a major site of pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
during the time it was compiled.
The music
As such, the purpose of the compilation is made clear by its anonymous compiler himself:- Quia interdum peregrini quando vigilant in ecclesia Beate Marie de Monte Serrato volunt cantare et trepudiare, et etiam in platea de die, et ibi non debeant nisi honestas ac devotas cantilenas cantare, idcirco superius et inferius alique sunt scripte. Et de hoc uti debent honeste et parce, ne perturbent perseverantes in orationibus et devotis contemplationibus.
- "Because the pilgrims wish to sing and dance while they keep their watch at night in the church of the Blessed Mary of Montserrat, and also in the light of day; and in the church no songs should be sung unless they are chaste and pious, for that reason these songs that appear here have been written. And these should be used modestly, and take care that no one who keeps watch in prayer and contemplation is disturbed."
The songs, therefore, were written for the pilgrims to have something appropriately "chaste and pious" to sing and dance to (round-dance). The songs are in Catalan
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
, in Occitan and in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
. While the collection was written near the end of the 14th century, much of the music in the collection appears from its style to originate earlier; the motet
Motet
In classical music, motet is a word that is applied to a number of highly varied choral musical compositions.-Etymology:The name comes either from the Latin movere, or a Latinized version of Old French mot, "word" or "verbal utterance." The Medieval Latin for "motet" is motectum, and the Italian...
Imperayritz de la ciutat joyosa contains two different texts which can be sung simultaneously, a style that would have been old fashioned when the manuscript was compiled.
The songs have many of the characteristics of folk songs as well as hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
s. Some are monophonic
Monophony
In music, monophony is the simplest of textures, consisting of melody without accompanying harmony. This may be realized as just one note at a time, or with the same note duplicated at the octave . If the entire melody is sung by two voices or a choir with an interval between the notes or in...
, while others are set in two to four parts of usually non-imitative polyphony
Polyphony
In music, polyphony is a texture consisting of two or more independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords ....
. The monodic songs can be sung as two- or threefold canons
Canon (music)
In music, a canon is a contrapuntal composition that employs a melody with one or more imitations of the melody played after a given duration . The initial melody is called the leader , while the imitative melody, which is played in a different voice, is called the follower...
. The relative simplicity, the dance rhythm, and the strong melodies of the songs has given the music collected in the Red Book a lasting appeal, and these songs are some of the most frequently recorded pieces of early music.
The surviving songs
The ten songs in the collection that survive are:- Song: O Virgo SplendensO Virgo SplendensO Virgo Splendens is a monodic song from the Llibre Vermell de Montserrat, one of the oldest extant medieval manuscripts containing music...
(fol. 21v-22) ("O Splendid Virgin") - VirelaiVirelaiA virelai is a form of medieval French verse used often in poetry and music. It is one of the three formes fixes and was one of the most common verse forms set to music in Europe from the late thirteenth to the fifteenth centuries.A virelai is similar to a rondeau...
/danse: Stella SplendensStella SplendensStella Splendens is a polyphonic song , with two parts voices from the Llibre Vermell de Montserrat, one of the oldest extant medieval manuscripts containing music...
(fol. 22r) ("Splendid Star") - Song: Laudemus Virginem (fol. 23) ("Let us praise the Virgin")
- Song: Splendens CeptigeraSplendens CeptigeraSplendens Ceptigera is a monodic song from the Llibre Vermell de Montserrat, one of the oldest extant medieval manuscripts containing music...
(fol. 23) ("Splendid ruler") - Virelai: Mariam, Matrem Virginem, Attolite (fol. 25r) ("Praise Mary, the virgin mother")
- Virelai/danse: Polorum Regina (fol. 24v) ("Queen of the Poles")
- Virelai: Cuncti Simus Concanentes (fol. 24) ("Let us sing together")
- BalladBalladA ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
/danse: Los Set Gotxs (fol. 23v) ("The seven joys") - MotetMotetIn classical music, motet is a word that is applied to a number of highly varied choral musical compositions.-Etymology:The name comes either from the Latin movere, or a Latinized version of Old French mot, "word" or "verbal utterance." The Medieval Latin for "motet" is motectum, and the Italian...
: Imperayritz de la ciutat joyosa / Verges ses par misericordiosa (fol. 25v) ("Empress of the happy city" / "Virgin, out of mercy") - Virelai: Ad Mortem FestinamusAd Mortem FestinamusAd Mortem Festināmus is a monodic song from the Llibre Vermell de Montserrat, one of the oldest extant medieval manuscripts containing music. Its lyrics talk about the inevitability of death and the need to stop sinning...
(fol. 26v) ("We hasten towards death")
Many performers have performed these songs; some of the more noteworthy performances have been by Jordi Savall
Jordi Savall
Jordi Savall i Bernadet is a Catalan viol player, conductor and composer. He has been one of the major figures in the field of Western early music since the 1970s, largely responsible for bringing the viol back to life on the stage...
, Micrologus
Micrologus
The Micrologus is a treatise on Medieval music written by Guido of Arezzo, dating to approximately 1026. It was dedicated to Tedald, Bishop of Arezzo. This treatise outlines singing and teaching practice for Gregorian chant, and has considerable discussion of the composition of polyphonic...
, Studio der Frühen Musik
Studio der frühen Musik
Studio der frühen Musik was an early music group active from 1960–1980 and based in Munich.The leader of the group was Thomas Binkley, and the activity of the group coincided with the years he was teaching at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis...
, Hesperion XX, and Ensemble Unicorn.
See also
- Cantigas de Santa MariaCantigas de Santa MariaThe Cantigas de Santa Maria are 420 poems with musical notation, written in Galician-Portuguese during the reign of Alfonso X El Sabio and often attributed to him....
, compiled by Alfonso X of CastileAlfonso X of CastileAlfonso X was a Castilian monarch who ruled as the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1252 until his death... - http://scolas.skyrock.com/article_1107086564.html Llibre Vermell de Montserrat on Wiki Musique
Recording
- 1979 - "Llibre Vermell de Montserrat. A fourteenth century pilgrimage". Hespèrion XX, Jordi SavallJordi SavallJordi Savall i Bernadet is a Catalan viol player, conductor and composer. He has been one of the major figures in the field of Western early music since the 1970s, largely responsible for bringing the viol back to life on the stage...
- 1992 - "Llibre Vermell - Pilgrim Songs & Dances". New London Consort, Philip PickettPhilip PickettPhilip Pickett is an English musician, recorder player and director of early music ensembles, notably The New London Consort.- Student days :...
- 1995 - "Llibre Vermell de Montserrat - Cantigas de Santa Maria" Alla Francesca
- 1996 - "Los set goyts" and "Imperayritz de la ciutat joyosa" recorded by Angelo BranduardiAngelo BranduardiAngelo Branduardi , is an Italian folk singer and composer who scored relevant success in Italy and European countries such as France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.- Biography :...
in the album "Futuro antico". - 2007 - Llibre Vermell. Choeur de chambre de Namur, Psallentes, Les Pastoureaux, Millenarium, directed by Christophe Deslignes. RIC 260.
External links
- Llibre Vermell de Montserrat - A discography
- Llibre Vermell de Montserrat at Amaranth Publishing
- Lyrics to all the songs, with English translations.
- Red Book of Montserrat contains modern notations of the songs, in PDF and NoteWorthy formats.
- Llibre Vermell - Transcription and translation of the original texts