An educational programme featuring early music. Part 5 in the series Music from convents. Music from the 15th and 16th century, found in six convents on the German Lüneburger Heathland: late-Gregorian music and songs in everyday language inspired by the Modern Devotion. In this part, songs from the library of convent Ebstorf.
Convent Ebstorf, near Uelzen, is probably founded in 1160 as a Premonstratensian convent, but was founded again after a fire as a Benedictine abbey with residents from convent Walsrode.
(map of Ebstorf in the 12th century)
Ebstorf Songbook
The Ebstorf songbook from the impressive library was written between 1490 and 1520 by three nuns. It contains 21 Low German songs, poems and prayers, especially texts without melodies. These are known from other sources, like those from Wienhausen. Besides the Ebstorf Songbook there have been preserved 21 other music manuscripts, the most of them are from the Office, some from the mass repertoire. The oldest fragments date back to the 12th and 13th century.
Intellect, Unio Mystico and music
The music from Ebstorf reflects the intellectual level of the nuns who lived in that convent; they had mastered Latin in word and writing. Not only the piety of the Modern Devotion was experienced in Ebstorf, but particularly the pursuit of ‘Unio Mystico’, to dedicate yourself to the transcendental.
The Textbook ‘Tonar’ on music is evidence of the interest the convent had in music. The extreme expressive symbolism demonstrates the great wealth in the usually strict form of the hymns. Ebstorf’s music belongs because of this to the richest music from the heathland convents.
Anonymous
1. Iubilate deo.
2. Letentur omnes. Sol et luna laudate. Salus nostra in manu tua est. Timpana leta chori. Disrumpan vincula populi/ Ego sum protector.
3. Vocavit angelus domini Abraham. Temptvit deus Abraham. Angelus domini vocavit Abraham. Locutus est angelus domini. Descendit angelus domini ad Zachariam. Inter natos mulierum.
4. Maria zart. Veniens a Lybano. Virga Jesse.
5. Jesu Leib als Harfenspiel. Hodie candida stola mire purpura decora. Posuisti domine super caput coronam. Nisi granum frumenti cadens.
6. Alleluia. Surrexit dominus de sepulchro. Ressurexit dominus / Wy wullen alle vrolick seyn. Alleluia.
Ensemble Devotio Moderna, Hannover led by Ulrike Volkhardt.
CD: Wy wullen alle vrolick syn. Cantate C 58034, 2008
