Who was Hildegarde von Bingen? And why is she revered by musicologists and the Vatican? Rarely are the visions of one who lived during the 12th century taken to heart, but the writings of this nun and adviser to popes and emperors have so enraptured her followers that the pope recently announced he will elevate her to sainthood next year.
Anonymous 4, the vocal ensemble with a repertoire spanning more than a thousand years, brings Hildegarde to life in a concert of works selected from her extensive repertoire. Presented by the Folger Shakespeare Library, it takes place in Washington National Cathedral.
| Onstage |
| Anonymous 4: “Heavenly Revelations” |
| Where: Washington National Cathedral |
| When 8 p.m. Friday and SaturdayPre-concert discussion Friday at 6:30 p.m. |
| Info: $30 to $50 at 303-544-7077 or folger.edu. |
Susan Hellauer, the medieval research specialist of the quartet, talked about Hildegard and the life that has affected so many down through time.
“We love to sing in the cathedral and are eager to perform the chants Hildegarde composed,” she said. “Hildegarde entered the convent about the age of seven and was educated in church law, scriptures and sacraments. She produced two main manuscripts that have been copied many times. The music is written in small fragments on staff lines that are easy to read and to transcribe. Although she could read and write, she dictated her books to a scribe and adviser named Volmar.
“Her two kinds of chants were short antiphons of 10 to 25 seconds, and hymns that lasted about 12 minutes. They replaced a liturgical item for a particular day or saint. One of the long ones, O Ecclesia, is the personification of Christ graphically expressed in free verse that is sometimes erotic to reflect the sublimation of womanly desires and feelings as a bride of Christ. The imagery of Christ begins in little steps to depict him on Earth physically.”
The founder of two communities of nuns, Hildegarde composed Ordo Virtutum, as well as the chants. It is a musical morality play that pits the virtues against the devil in a struggle for the human soul. Both her music and lyrics survived. Her accomplishments also extend to practical medicine, sometimes captured in visions. She wrote treatises on herbal healing that are pertinent today.
The second portion of the concert focuses on motets from the Montpellier Cordex of Medieval France. The huge compendium of 13th century works incorporates great variety, from sacred polyphony to love motets.
“Each piece has one, two or three pre-existing lines each with its own text, like an opera score,” Hellauer said. “Each vocalist sings her own thoughts. Some of the texts are in French, some in Latin. There will also be a huge variety of instrumental sounds because the Folger Consort will accompany us, together with Shira Kammen on vielle [a bowed, string instrument from the Medieval period] and Debra Nagy on recorder.”
