The month of May is filled with birds and love, and at the same time, it’s the month that’s dedicated to Mary, mother of Jesus.
In this programme, we hear troubadour Bernard de Ventadorn and 16th century Claude Le Jeune (and others) singing the praises of birds and love.
Mary is honoured in anonymous medieval songs, like from the 13th century collection of Cantigas, attributed to king Alfonso X, ‘The Wise’, of Castile, Leon and Galicia.
Anonymous
1 Virent prata hiemata
2 En mai au douz tens nouvel
Bernard de Ventadorn (1130 – 1190)
3 Can vei la lauzeta mover
Ensemble für frühe Musik Augsburg
(CD: Trobadors – Trouvères – Minnesänger : Lieder & Tänze des Mittelalters. Christophorus CHE 0148-2, 2009, orig. 1984)
Claude Le Jeune (1530 – 1600)
4 Voici le verd et beau may
5 Brunelette, joliette
6 Mes yeux ne cesseront i’point
7 La bel’ aronde
Ensemble Gilles Binchois conducted by Dominique Vellard
(CD: Claude Le Jeune – Le Printemps. Evidence EVCD069, 2020)
Illustratie uit Cantigas-manuscript (Escorial Codex E). Bron: Wikimedia Commons
Anonymous (13th – 14th century)
8 Mater Dei
9 Promeneris summe laudis
10 Gloriose matris Dei
Capella de Ministrers, Ensemble Akrami, Lluis Vich Vocalis, conducted by Carles Magraner
(CD: Música en temps de Jaume I. Licanus CDM 0825, 2009)
Alfonso X ‘El Sabio’ (1221 – 1284)
11 Rosa das rosas (CSM 10)
12 Que por al non devess (CSM 295)
13 Entre Av’e Eva (CSM 60)
14 (Instrumental) (CSM 259)
Ensemble Unicorn
(CD: Alfonso el Sabio – Cantigas de Santa Maria. Naxos 8.553133, 1995)
images: Bernard de Ventadorn, shown here in Chansonnier Provençal (Gallica Digital Library). Source: Wikimedia Commons
