Canticles of Ecstasy is not sung entirely a cappella. Rarely heard Medieval instruments (a kind of violin and a harp) are supposed to enhance the voices of the female singers. You may like it or you may not like it. You may wonder whether such instruments were really allowed inside monasteries at the time Hildegard lived or if it is a concession to our ears, which might otherwise find the chants just too austere to be really enjoyable. I love the sound of the viola and do not really bother too much about the historical accuracy of the performance. So this could not be the reason for which my cd was inexorably gathering the black Beijing dust. There must be something else.

The light came when I listened recently to Sacred Treasures II, an album of Russian Orthodox music. I suddenly realized just how "cold" and frighteningly ethereal Hildegard's canticles were compared with those chants from the East. Listening to Rachmaninoff's Vespers was like being nurtured inside the womb of a warm-hearted Russian granny or floating under the golden mosaic figure of the Pantocrator, rejoicing in its strong but tender maleness, while listening to Hildegard's songs was like soaring indefinitely in an icy, mineral space without limits that could either be pitch-dark or totally white. The voices are ethereal but are they still human?

This is not to say that you shouldn't buy this cd, but try also something that has more roots, more warmth and ultimately more humanity.


The Sounds Of Enchantment   September 4, 2000
 14 out of 14 found this review helpful

Eloquent proof of the power of music to transcend time. The music of Hildegard von Bingen conveys her spiritual sense across the centuries intact, and Sequentia's performance is truly wonderful. To be so moved by someone who lived 900 years ago reminds one of the continuity of the human experience, both spiritually and on earth. Not just beautiful music...an experience.


Canticles is Essential Hildegard: Godlike and Glorious   July 29, 2005
 14 out of 14 found this review helpful


This album of Hildegard's music is ethereal sublime and glorious in its composition and execution. If you have never heard (or heard of) Hildegard von Bingen let it suffice to say that her music, while of spiritual nature was an essential step in the development of western music and I rank her in the top ten important composers of the last millennium. If you have heard Hildegard then you will be amazed by the quality of the recording. Canticles of Ecstasy is very clean and richly recorded and is among the finest recordings of Hildegard's music.

Naturally the tone of this music is very meditative and is relaxing yet uplifting. This makes excellent music to listen to in the morning while reading or when you want to be peaceful. That being said it isn't simple ambience and an attentive listen will reveal how Hildegard's orchestrations of the voice shift and create harmonies that one could easily call "magical". I recommend this CD to the fan of Hildegard von Bingen as well as a starting point to exploring her music. Further I recommend this one highly to anyone just wishing to expand their musical horizons. Fans of early music and classical, along with fans of music like Aphex Twin or Autechre will certainly appreciate this CD. - Enjoy

- Ted Murena