Big Numbers
All the Things You Are - Jerome Kern
Imaginary Friends - Ralph Alessi
Solo
Praefatio - Traditional
Sanctus & Benedictus - Guillaume de Machaut
Expression - John Coltrane

Ben Ghusn - Tenor Saxophone
Max Case - Guitar
Angelo Monroy - Piano
Zack Teran - Bass
Tyler Cravines - Drums
Viola - Sarah Coyl
Voice - Bijou Bell

1 - Big Numbers, All the Things You Are, Imaginary Friends, Sanctus, Expression

What would Medieval Solstice Discothèque sound like? Saltarello, estampie, pavane, galliards... A few motets, tientos, virelais, conductuses, canons? This one is holidays decoration aid, a mini-survey of early music substrata of Gerd Berg's gorgeous Reflexe Series and a celebration of Winter Solstice (hence the title). All for the price of one! Mind you, it's ninety minutes of Medieval, Renaissance and a pinch of Baroque musics. All of it pre-equal temperament, pre-standardized notation and pre-tonal music setup. There's no neat set of major/minor scales, standard chord progressions or artificial symmetry. Many of these tunes and compositions are in rather fanciful renditions. Most of it done in the second half of the twentieth century by musicians and researchers raised on hardcore musical modernism. No wonder many arcane techniques (hocket, canon, Ars Nova's isorhythms) were so thoroughly appropriated in post-WWII musical avantgarde.

Deciphering rhythmic notation with is fairly problematic for a large swathe of this repertoire. So don't think about these interpretations in terms of precision. One of the charms of early music is that each time one and the same composition is performed it will likely sound very different. But some early music ensembles managed to piece together their own recognizable style, despite foggy research and disparate sources. In this set we have Studio Der Frühen Music; The Hilliard Ensemble; Ricercare-Ensemble Für Alte Musik, Zürich; Jordi Savall and his Hespèrion XX; Das Linde Consort. Those were all brilliant and lucky enough to be active when the recording industry was awash with money and could throw big budgets at niche projects. Reflexe Series being one of the finest. These 1.5 hours is a quick parkours of my personal favourites, but there're many others. Perhaps for another time. I hope it could be the gateway for someone who only start their exploration or just a temporary festive companion. Happy start to the holidays run-up!
Tracklist here:
https://snowsovgethen.com/journal/snows-ov-gethen-hermetic-journals-reflexiones-solstitii-medieval-renaissance-baroque-early-music-solstice-special

Hermetic Journals: Reflexiones Solstitii

M11A_아름답고다정한여인이여Douce dame jolie

PAROLES

Douce dame jolie,
Pour Dieu ne pensés mie
Que nulle ait signorie
Seur moy fors vous seulement.

Qu'adès sans tricherie
Chierie
Vous ay et humblement
Tous les jours de ma vie
Servie
Sans villain pensement.

Helas! et je mendie
D'esperance et d'aïe;
Dont ma joie est fenie,
Se pité ne vous en prent.

Douce dame jolie,
Pour Dieu ne pensés mie
Que nulle ait signorie
Seur moy fors vous seulement.

Mais vo douce maistrie
Maistrie
Mon cuer si durement
Qu'elle le contralie
Et lie
En amour tellement

Qu'il n'a de riens envie
Fors d'estre en vo baillie;
Et se ne li ottrie
Vos cuers nul aligement.

Douce dame jolie,
Pour Dieu ne pensés mie
Que nulle ait signorie
Seur moy fors vous seulement.

Et quant ma maladie
Garie
Ne sera nullement
Sans vous, douce anemie,
Qui lie
Estes de mon tourment,

A jointes mains deprie
Vo cuer, puis qu'il m'oublie,
Que temprement m'ocie,
Car trop langui longuement.

Douce dame jolie,
Pour Dieu ne pensés mie
Que nulle ait signorie
Seur moy fors vous seulement.

Douce Dame Jolie

Musics from Théâtre musical 'si, Sonne!' , 2024 January 26,27@ National theater of Korea

https://www.ntok.go.kr/kr/Ticket/Performance/Details?performanceId=266635

Transmissions to the aether • des bruits colorés
https://snowsovgethen.com/

New tracks tagged #Guillaume de Machaut