Spirit of Middle Ages comes alive in music
Published 23 July, 2007, 08:21
A patriarch of Early Music, Austrian Rene Clemencic was a pioneer in exploring and playing the music of the Middle Ages and Renaissance using authentic instruments and performance style. His ensemble Clemencic Consort has given a concert at the Arkhangelskoe manor in the Moscow region.
For the first time in Russia the Clemencic ensemble is presenting the original version of the Carmina Burana – a collection of songs in Latin, written in the 13th century by students and clergy. The ensemble has been performing this programme for twenty years already.
The Carmina Burana has nothing to do with the famous composition by Carl Orf. The ensemble performs original songs from the Middle Ages – religious music, love ballads and satirical tunes.
Each performance by Swiss musician Rene Zosso, who took part in the concert, is a little piece of theatre. He sings in different languages from Latin to French, and plays an exotic instrument called the hurdy-gurdy. To make the strings sound, you need to turn a handle.
An introductory talk and commentaries traditionally accompany the ensemble's performances.
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