Scholars examined Hildegard’s contribution to medicine collections of her idiosyncratic artwork (inspired by her visions) have been published and historians have noted that Hildegard, who corresponded with the pope and leading figures of her day like Bernard, wielded an impressive measure of political influence for a woman of her time.Īlmost 40 years have passed since Gothic Voices released their masterpiece, but Hildegard remains a singular icon of creativity, spirituality, and the ability to break out of convention. And soon the interest in this 11 th-century abbess spread beyond her lovely music. Hildegard of Bingen became a medieval superstar. It also spawned dozens more Hildegard recordings, ranging from painstakingly authentic period recordings to a variety of “new age” interpretations. The recording was a sensation, winning a slew of awards and showing up on “Best Classical Albums of All Time” lists. The ensemble featured the sterling voice of soprano Emma Kirkby, whose melodious reading of Hildegard’s sequences, hymns, and chants were simply angelic. Perhaps the Hildegard craze began in 1982, when an early music group named Gothic Voices released an album of Hildegard’s compositions called A Feather on the Breath of God. Others from her age, like Bernard of Clairvaux or Peter Abelard, may have a more prominent place in history, theology, or philosophy, but Hildegard has won people’s hearts in a much more down-to-earth way: as an artist, composer, and playwright, as a proto-feminist and medieval herbalist, and as a mystic whose writings recount her detailed, intricate visions. 1152Įleventh-century Europe usually is a topic of interest only to scholars, medievalists, and the occasional church geek, but somehow, Hildegard of Bingen, who lived from 1098 to 1179, has managed to achieve an unusual degree of visibility in our time. ~ Hildegard of Bingen, Letter to Elisabeth of Schönau, c. A human being is a vessel that God has built for himself and filled with his inspiration so that his works are perfected in it.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |