O frondens virga, antiphon
AMG AllMusic Guide to Classical Music :
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O frondens virga, antiphon
- Date: ca. 1140 -1179
- Composer: Hildegard von Bingen
- Period: Medieval (1-1449)
Review
The tenth child in her family and thus given over by her aristocrat parents to the church as a tithe, Hildegard entered religious life at the age of eight, taught by the charismatic and beautiful hermit nun Jutta. Hildegard was apparently well-educated, but then she clearly exhibited the traits of a genius. She became a dramatist, writer, theologian, medical practitioner, and herbalist; mystic and visionary; counselor to kings, popes, and royalty; and a composer. The latter career was a mere sidelight to her other activities, and thus it is an irony that she has probably become the best-known female composer in musical history. This antiphon, O frondens virga (O leafy branch) is a brief work written, as was the case with all of her music, for solo vocal line. This antiphon opens with one of Hildegard's most memorable themes, a somewhat angular creation whose soaring lonely character and sense of mysticism effectively convey its religious fervor. The leafy branch in the text refers to one of Hildegard's favorite subjects, the Blessed Virgin, and the music extols her role as the ultimate feminine symbol and model for all women. In the end, this two-minute antiphon must be assessed as one of Hildegard's more compelling brief works. ~ Robert Cummings, RoviAlbums with Complete Performances of the Work
| O fronde care | |
| O fronte serena |
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O frondens virga, antiphon
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AMG AllMusic Guide to Classical Music
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