Philip Peters on Hyperion's Hildegard:

>The Hildegard is good (isn't that the one with *Gothic Voices*?) but
>there are even better ones, especially the CD by Catherine Schroeder.
>*Sequentia* has recorded 5 (I think) CD's with almost the complete works
>but I feel Schroeder's contribution is the pinnacle.  "A Feather on the
>Brath of God" of course is an incredibly beautiful and profound title,
>taken from Hildegard's own texts.

Very true.  I just picked up Hildegard's "Symphoniae" on DHM performed by
Sequentia and compared it to the Hyperion release.  The Sequentia voices
are at once more sensual and relaxed, and the very delicate instrumental
commentary, whether appropriate or not, works much better for me.  The
flute echoes in "O clarissma mater" are particularly transporting.  The
Gothic voices, led by Kirkby, sometimes include males; and the only
instrumental accompaniment is a drone here and there.  Sequentia offers
flute, harp, psalterium, and fiddles--to magical effect.

This DHM recording was available at mid-price.  It seems like a fortuitous
time to gain an interest in earlier music; so many excellent releases are
now available at reduced prices.  If anyone else can recommend 'must haves'
in this department, that are currently available at a steal, I would love
to know.

Of my other purchases a couple of weeks ago, the Geminiani Concerti Grossi
was the big stand-out, both musically and performance-wise.  Beautiful
music, (of course, originally Corelli's), and there are moments of great
intimacy, pathos, and autumnal beauty; most notably in the Largo of the
Concerto in D major.

Mozart's "Requiem" with Weil/Tafelmusik and the Tolzer Boys Choir is as
dedicated and reverent as I suspected from listening to samples.  I'm
beginning to wonder, though, if the music really sends me.

John Smyth