H. Bingen: Vox Cosmica – Savall, Ariana

   in Early Music Today (Mar, 2015)
This striking disc has three elements: firstly, the chants of Hildegard of Bingen treated freely, accompanied abundantly, and knitted together intricately; secondly, the long ‘Planctus David’ or lament for Saul and Jonathan, of Peter Abelard – a prism, according to Arianna Savall, through which Abelard’s desolate love for Heloise is viewed (Petter Udland Johansen’s tenor is punctuated sparsely here only by Savall’s harp in a particularly effective and beautiful track); and thirdly, airy, atmospheric, free instrumental compositions, called Meditations and with more than a touch of ‘mood music’ about them, by Udland Johansen.

Voices, medieval and triple harps, lyras, fiddles and hardingfele, Tibetan singing bowl, monochord, flutes, Romain bells, colascione, tromba …