Notes and Editorial Reviews
Also available in the specially-priced boxed-set, Noël - Carols & Chants For Christmas / Anonymous 4
"This latest disc from Anonymous 4 is a selection of liturgical and paraliturgical Christmas pieces, taken from medieval Hungarian sources. Most are monophonic, but there is a modest sprinkling of simple polyphonic pieces for two, three and four voices. The charm of the performance lies in its unpretentious, almost childlike simplicity – suggested, maybe, by the delightful extracts from the Christmas story as quoted in the notes. These extracts come from the “Peasants’ Bible” – Paraszbiblia: Magyar Nepi Biblikus Tortenetek – which
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contains Bible stories retold in simple language, with homely, imaginative details and an atmosphere of fairy-tale.
The classic liturgical pieces, which include the Introit Dum medium silentium, the splendid Gradual Speciosa forma, and others, are heard in a version which tends to use the pentatonic scale, thus avoiding both B natural and B flat. The sung readings are impressive with their polyphonic settings. I enjoyed the rich Genealogy (Liber generationis) with its beautifully constructed and compelling melody. Some of the vernacular pieces, as well as the Latin song for New Year’s Day, have a regular ternary rhythm. The Hungarian Te Deum (which appeared in an earlier recording by the Schola Hungarica on Quintana) offers an interesting alternative for the concluding verses: it simply transposes the original theme up a fourth.
This CD should be high on every shopping list of Christmas presents for friends."
-- Mary Berry, GRAMOPHONE
from review of original release HM 907139
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Works on This Recording
1.
Ave spes nostra by Anonymous
Performer:
Marsha Genensky (Voice),
Johanna Rose (Voice),
Susan Hellauer (Voice),
Ruth Cunningham (Soprano)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Anonymous 4
Period: Medieval
Date of Recording: 05/1996
Venue: Campion Center, Boston, Massachusetts
Length: 2 Minutes 4 Secs.
Language: Latin
2.
Mi aryánk Atya Isten by Anonymous
Performer:
Ruth Cunningham (Soprano),
Susan Hellauer (Voice),
Marsha Genensky (Voice),
Johanna Rose (Voice)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Anonymous 4
Period: Medieval
Written: Hungary
Date of Recording: 05/1996
Venue: Campion Center, Boston, Massachusetts
Length: 2 Minutes 38 Secs.
Language: Hungarian
3.
Veni Domine by Anonymous
Performer:
Marsha Genensky (Voice),
Susan Hellauer (Voice),
Johanna Rose (Voice),
Ruth Cunningham (Soprano)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Anonymous 4
Date of Recording: 05/1996
Venue: Campion Center, Boston, Massachusetts
Length: 2 Minutes 7 Secs.
Language: Latin
4.
O mundi Domina by Anonymous
Performer:
Marsha Genensky (Voice),
Johanna Rose (Voice),
Ruth Cunningham (Soprano),
Susan Hellauer (Voice)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Anonymous 4
Period: Medieval
Date of Recording: 05/1996
Venue: Campion Center, Boston, Massachusetts
Length: 1 Minutes 2 Secs.
Language: Latin
5.
Fuit Virgo by Anonymous
Performer:
Johanna Rose (Voice),
Susan Hellauer (Voice),
Ruth Cunningham (Soprano),
Marsha Genensky (Voice)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Anonymous 4
Period: Medieval
Date of Recording: 05/1996
Venue: Campion Center, Boston, Massachusetts
Length: 2 Minutes 15 Secs.
Language: Latin
6.
Vox clara, ecce, intonat by Anonymous
Performer:
Susan Hellauer (Voice),
Ruth Cunningham (Soprano),
Johanna Rose (Voice),
Marsha Genensky (Voice)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Anonymous 4
Period: Medieval
Date of Recording: 05/1996
Venue: Campion Center, Boston, Massachusetts
Length: 2 Minutes 54 Secs.
Language: Latin
7.
Omnes unanimiter by Anonymous
Performer:
Marsha Genensky (Voice),
Johanna Rose (Voice),
Ruth Cunningham (Soprano),
Susan Hellauer (Voice)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Anonymous 4
Period: Medieval
Date of Recording: 05/1996
Venue: Campion Center, Boston, Massachusetts
Length: 3 Minutes 14 Secs.
Language: Latin
8.
Dum medium silentium by Anonymous
Performer:
Ruth Cunningham (Soprano),
Marsha Genensky (Voice),
Susan Hellauer (Voice),
Johanna Rose (Voice)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Anonymous 4
Period: Medieval
Date of Recording: 05/1996
Venue: Campion Center, Boston, Massachusetts
Length: 3 Minutes 52 Secs.
Language: Latin
9.
Primo tempore by Anonymous
Performer:
Ruth Cunningham (Soprano),
Marsha Genensky (Voice),
Susan Hellauer (Voice),
Johanna Rose (Voice)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Anonymous 4
Period: Medieval
Date of Recording: 05/1996
Venue: Campion Center, Boston, Massachusetts
Length: 6 Minutes 45 Secs.
Language: Latin
10.
Speciosus forma by Anonymous
Performer:
Marsha Genensky (Voice),
Johanna Rose (Voice),
Ruth Cunningham (Soprano),
Susan Hellauer (Voice)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Anonymous 4
Period: Medieval
Date of Recording: 05/1996
Venue: Campion Center, Boston, Massachusetts
Length: 4 Minutes 19 Secs.
Language: Latin
11.
Novum decus oritur by Anonymous
Performer:
Ruth Cunningham (Soprano),
Marsha Genensky (Voice),
Susan Hellauer (Voice),
Johanna Rose (Voice)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Anonymous 4
Period: Medieval
Date of Recording: 05/1996
Venue: Campion Center, Boston, Massachusetts
Length: 1 Minutes 52 Secs.
Language: Latin
12.
Letentur celi by Anonymous
Performer:
Johanna Rose (Voice),
Ruth Cunningham (Soprano),
Marsha Genensky (Voice),
Susan Hellauer (Voice)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Anonymous 4
Period: Medieval
Date of Recording: 05/1996
Venue: Campion Center, Boston, Massachusetts
Length: 1 Minutes 3 Secs.
Language: Latin
13.
Jube, domne. Salvator noster by Anonymous
Performer:
Marsha Genensky (Voice),
Ruth Cunningham (Soprano),
Susan Hellauer (Voice),
Johanna Rose (Voice)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Anonymous 4
Period: Medieval
Date of Recording: 05/1996
Venue: Campion Center, Boston, Massachusetts
Length: 4 Minutes 55 Secs.
Language: Latin
14.
Lord hath latterly by Anonymous
Performer:
Susan Hellauer (Voice),
Ruth Cunningham (Soprano),
Marsha Genensky (Voice),
Johanna Rose (Voice)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Anonymous 4
Period: Medieval
Written: Hungary
Date of Recording: 05/1996
Venue: Campion Center, Boston, Massachusetts
Length: 2 Minutes 38 Secs.
Language: Hungarian
15.
Novus annus adiit by Anonymous
Performer:
Ruth Cunningham (Soprano),
Marsha Genensky (Voice),
Susan Hellauer (Voice),
Johanna Rose (Voice)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Anonymous 4
Period: Medieval
Date of Recording: 05/1996
Venue: Campion Center, Boston, Massachusetts
Length: 4 Minutes 20 Secs.
Language: Latin
16.
Exulta satis filia Sion by Anonymous
Performer:
Marsha Genensky (Voice),
Susan Hellauer (Voice),
Johanna Rose (Voice),
Ruth Cunningham (Soprano)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Anonymous 4
Period: Medieval
Date of Recording: 05/1996
Venue: Campion Center, Boston, Massachusetts
Length: 0 Minutes 44 Secs.
Language: Latin
17.
Liber Generationis secondum Matthaeum by Anonymous
Performer:
Johanna Rose (Voice),
Ruth Cunningham (Soprano),
Marsha Genensky (Voice),
Susan Hellauer (Voice)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Anonymous 4
Period: Medieval
Written: Croatia (Republic of
Date of Recording: 05/1996
Venue: Campion Center, Boston, Massachusetts
Length: 11 Minutes 11 Secs.
Language: Latin
18.
Gaude et laetare by Anonymous
Performer:
Johanna Rose (Voice),
Susan Hellauer (Voice),
Marsha Genensky (Voice),
Ruth Cunningham (Soprano)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Anonymous 4
Period: Medieval
Date of Recording: 05/1996
Venue: Campion Center, Boston, Massachusetts
Length: 1 Minutes 3 Secs.
Language: Latin
19.
Exordium quadruplate by Anonymous
Performer:
Johanna Rose (Voice),
Marsha Genensky (Voice),
Susan Hellauer (Voice),
Ruth Cunningham (Soprano)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Anonymous 4
Period: Medieval
Date of Recording: 05/1996
Venue: Campion Center, Boston, Massachusetts
Length: 2 Minutes 17 Secs.
Language: Latin
20.
Te Deum laudamus by Anonymous
Performer:
Johanna Rose (Voice),
Susan Hellauer (Voice),
Marsha Genensky (Voice),
Ruth Cunningham (Soprano)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Anonymous 4
Period: Medieval
Date of Recording: 05/1996
Venue: Campion Center, Boston, Massachusetts
Length: 6 Minutes 3 Secs.
Language: Hungarian
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