Llibre Vermell:  Songs and dances from the famous "Red Book" of the
Monastery of Santa Maria de Montserrat.  Saraband, directed by Vladimir
Ivanoff.  Dorian Records DOR-93202, distributed by Allegro Imorts
incorporated.  DDD 63:14

Medieval Spain saw the development of two famous destinations for Christian
pilgrims:  Santiago de Compostela, said to house the earthly remains of St.
James the Apostle, and Santa Maria de Montserrat, where tradition states
that the Blessed Virgin appeared and worked miracles.  Founded around 1025,
the monastery of Montserrat began as a branch of the Benedictine order in
Ripoll.  By 1200, it had become a major cultural center, its monks having
studied in Paris, Bologna and other famous European centers of learning.

The greatest treasure from Monterrat is the famous 14th century
codex known as the Llibre vermell, or Red Book.  The nickname comes from
its red velvet cover, which originates from the 19th century.  Thirty-five
of its original 172 sheets are missing, and amongst the chapters dedicated
to liturgical writings and rubrics, there are ten extant works of music.
The music originated from the songs and dances that the pilgrims would
perform during the night vigil.

In this recording, Vladimir Ivanoff augments the manuscripts from the Red
Book with chants and hymns from the Ripoll monastery, and with instrumental
preludes, the melodies of which are derived from the famous Cantigas de
Santa Maria of ca.  1300.  There are numerous documents that describe the
use of instruments and dances in the liturgy of the church.  These dances
became more and more elaborate, incorporating a small orchestra's worth of
instruments, dancers, minstrels and jugglers until the Council of Avignon
banned their use in an order from the year 1209.

The last thirty years or so have produced a plethora of recordings
of medieval music.  Because of the scant source material, performers
and musicologists are forced be creative in their recreation of this
repertoire.  In the dozens of discs that I have heard, never have I
experienced something as captivating and magnificently beautiful as
this program.

Recorded in a resplendent acoustic, these performances are simultaneously
haunting in their simplicity and astounding in their complexity.  The
highlight of the program is the joyous Stella splendans, whose whirlwind
instrumental accompaniment of schaums and drums and alternating
verse/solo-refrain/chorale will have the listener galloping around the
room.  I found myself hitting the track repeat button on my CD player
a half dozen times when I first obtained this disc.

Ivanoff does not strive here for some "ideal" in choral or vocal sound.
Rather, his singers express themselves with the ecstasy and piety of true
believers.  The result is nothing short of breathtaking.  His instrumental
ensemble plays with both expert precision and street-band abandon, creating
a sound that is as exotic in aural flavor as a rare perfume, and as
thrilling to the auditory palette as the spice of foreign food.

This disc is a must have for any lover of early music.  Run, don't walk to
your local record store and obtain a copy!

Kevin Sutton
Artistic Director and Conductor
The Helios Ensemble