Does anyone listen to medieval music? Could you recommend a good CD?

I've really gotten into medieval chant over the past few years, along with a lot of other kinds of ancient music. I'm particularly interested in finding a CD with men chanting. Whenever I look up medieval music I find women! I've only heard a few with men and I'd really like to hear more because, while the women usually sound quite pretty, I like the mood of a man's voice chanting.

Well, I know it's probably an odd request but if anyone could help me out, or even recommend something else you think might interest me, then go right ahead. I love discovering new music.

 

Gregorian chants normally have men singing, don't they?

EDIT:
I bet the Benedictine Monks of St. Michael's are men...

 

Wise words, womberty, thanks. I did know about Gregorian chant but I actually managed to find women sining it! But, yeah, I suppose it's all about the monks.

 

Medieval music? ?

 

Does that have a lot of gongs and screaming in it?

 

Medieval and Renaissance songs do have their charm. I personally enjoy listening to some nice chant, some lute music, or a good madrigal once in a while.

I would highly recommend the Carmina Burana by Carl Orff. The work is set to orchestral music, but the lyrics are from Medieval texts. The song is secular and doesn't reflect much of what the Roman Catholic Church taught at the time. What gives the work irony is that it was composed by monks.

If you want archaic religious song, then I would suggest looking for recordings of the Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos, which is a monastic community in Spain.

Hildegarde van Bingen lived in the Middle Ages and she produced many songs in her long lifetime.

Guillame de Machaunt lived in France in the later Medieval years and he composed secular songs in the French language. Of the two songs I have heard by him, I would recommend "Je Vivoire Liement" if you enjoy old song.

This may be jumping into the Renaissance, but Tomas Luis de Victoria composed many relgious songs for the Roman Catholic liturgy and mass.

List
--Carmina Burana, Carl Orff

--Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos

--Hildegard van Bingen

--Guillame de Machaunt

--Ivan the Terrible (Yes, he wrote songs.)

--Claudio Monteverdi

--Johann Sebastian Bach
-St. Matthew Passion
-Mass in B Minor
-Cantatas 153-156

--Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
-Exsultate Hubilate
-Requiem
-Mass in C Minor
-Missa Solemnis
-Coronation Mass

--Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky
-"Come Let Us Worship"
-Hymn of the Cherubim

--Sergei Rachmaniov
-Grand Litany of Supplication

 

Well, Jethro Tull did some medieval sounding stuff...

 

I don't think they had albums back then

 

I don't think they had albums back then

There were no methods to record sound, but the lyrics have surived the centuries.

 

You don't actually have to buy a copy of Mozart's Requiem if you have the DVD of Amadeus or X2: X-Men United.

 

The Matrix: Revolutions soundtrack has some interesting Gregorian style chants mixed in with modern film score.

 

I think I'll stick with my Japanese folk music, thanks.

 

I think I'll stick with my Japanese folk music, thanks.

Shakuhachi flute music is rather haunting. The Japan album by Kohachiro Miyata is beautiful...

 

darkknight_152002,
Thank you, you seem very versed in this topic. And actally, I have to say I love Orff. Is the Carmina Burna the one with the Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi? That's my favorite one.

I suppose I am a bit odd, too, since I'm not really all that religious but I generally love chants. Probably cause most are in Latin or something so I can't understand em' anyway. But I didn't know that one was secular. That's quite interesting.

womberty, I have X-Men 2. Is that the song where Nightcrawler is bamfing all over the place?

Naboo1, I've yet to see Matrix Revolutions but thanks for giving me a reason to. That sounds quite interesting.

Angel_Jedi_Master,

I think I'll stick with my Japanese folk music, thanks.

That's cool. Go ahead and recommend so of that. Like I said, I love discovering new music. And I admit, I have been looking high and low for a CD with the Japanese national anthem.

 

You're welcome, Teniel Djo, I just listen to music most of my time, so I do know of some composers, bands, and types. I mostly listen to Classical, but I do enjoy traditional world music, classic, hard, and some modern rock, and I am fond of electronic music, too.

 

Yeah, my taste in music is pretty much all over the board, too. I see from your bio that you like Loreena McKennit. I've only heard a couple of her songs but I liked them.

 

Thank you, Teniel Djo.

Has this list been helpful for you?

 

You could also try some of the earlier stuff by Men Without Hats and Toto, both sure to please the fan of medieval music.

 

I have X-Men 2. Is that the song where Nightcrawler is bamfing all over the place?

Yes, that's the Dies Irae from Mozart's Requiem.

And in Amadeus, there's a scene where they put together the Confutatis piece-by-piece (strings, voices, etc.). It's another part of the Requiem you'd probably enjoy if you like the Dies Irae. (You might enjoy the whole thing, but of course, there will be some slower parts as well.)

 

Of course, you need to determine what recordings you like for yourself. Collecting music is fun, and learning of its history is even more so.

There is an entire planet with many thousands of years of history, and music is part of it. The search will be worthwhile, and it is only as interesting as you make it to be.

If you can find support for this, then it will be even more rewarding.

Have fun!

 

did people use to shorten your name to TenDjo at another board a long time ago?

 

Musica Antigua is a Spanish group which records medieval music. They don't do Gregorian, but they have Cantigas of Alfonso X (1221-1284) a lot.

 

Wow, I've been neglecting the internet for sometime . . .

Thank you, Teniel Djo.

Has this list been helpful for you?--darkknight_152002


Some, yes. Thank you. I got some Hildegard van Bingen and I think I'll look for some Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos next, I think.



did people use to shorten your name to TenDjo at another board a long time ago? --Mynockologist

People used to call me that here . . . But if it's another board entirely you're probably thinking of someone else.

 

Chanticleer has some wonderful stuff. Sometimes it sounds like there are women singing because they do some really high parts, but the group is all guys. I have their "Mexican Baroque" album, and I like it a lot.

You can check them out on Amazon.com.

 

Some, yes. Thank you. I got some Hildegard van Bingen and I think I'll look for some Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos next, I think.

You're welcome, TenielDjo.

Classical Music Discussion Thread

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