Medieval music performed by all-female
groups is now becoming something of
a ‘norm’. Perhaps that was why Anonymous
4 decided to hang up their boots last
year.
As Nicky Losseff mentions
in her very interesting booklet notes,
there is not much evidence that nuns
sang this music at all in the 13th
and 14th century except in
some isolated spots. In any event, we
cannot, of course, ever have any idea
of how it sounded at that time. It’s
probably best not to go own that line.
Nevertheless some interpretative
expectations and results have to be
discussed and they may not always be
palatable.
The disc starts well
enough with a very fine English Rondellus,
a sort of round or canon like ‘Sumer-is-icumen
in’, except more complicated. This is
a very clear and beautiful performance
of a fine work. It’s worth trying to
follow it as the manuscript is printed
in the booklet. The only problem is
that you will need a magnifying glass.
John Potter who is
a fine bass, and the recording’s producer,
sings the long plainchant notes in ‘O
Maria, Stella maris’ one of the many
pieces found in the Notre Dame polyphony
of the Liber Magnus. ‘Dum sigillum’,
which is heard later, is from the same
manuscript and is attributed to Perotin.
Even by the time we
reach track three ‘Quem trina polluit’
one is wondering if we might begin to
have a change of tempo or mood. Surely
by track 7 we should have but this track
‘Beata Viscera’ one of the so-called
‘Worcester Fragments’ sums up the problem.
It is too slow, lacking in energy and
full of pauses. In other words it is
far too mannered and the similarity
carries over into other performances
here.
This came as quite
a surprise to me especially when I listened
again to Trio Medieval’s earlier CD
‘Soir dit Elle’ (2001) ECM New Series
461782-2. This disc I love and have
played often. It comprises, as well
other things, a lively, spirited and
colourful performance of the ‘Missa
Tournai’.
There is no doubt that
Trio Medieval are superb singers both
in vocal quality, musicality and in
ensemble blend. All of this comes through
in both discs, but on this new disc
it’s as if they are appealing to the
Classic fm mind of ‘Relaxing Classics’
in the late evening. Nothing is to be
hurried or aggressive or arresting.
All is to be calm and utterly beautiful,
blissful but dull. Fine, if that’s what
you want but for this listener it’s
not what I want on every track of a
CD. Medieval music covers as many emotions
and fantasies as any period of musical
history. These need to be brought out
with inner vitality and musical intelligence.
Church music of this period should not
be seen as just suitable for the late
evening modern comfort zone. Yet I realize
that this is the product which ECM is
often pedalling and disappointingly
Trio Medieval has fallen into this rut.
The three part ‘Veni
Creator’ comes off worst of all. At
the very least it certainly needs more
attack; The Hilliard ensemble take two
minutes less in their version on ECM
1385 837 751-2. A sense of ‘sameness’
has by now taken hold. On the other
hand the curious lullaby ‘Dou way Robyn’
comes off well with its rolling compound
time and delicious harmonies so superbly
rendered and pulled together.
The last twenty minutes
of the programme is devoted to a curiosity:
the setting of the Mass by the Korean
Composer Sungji Hong, a name new to
the catalogues and to me. This idea
of ending the disc with a work especially
composed for the Trio Medieval began
with the inclusion of Ivan Moody’s much
shorter ‘Words of the Angel’ on the
earlier CD. About half of the booklet
notes are devoted to some very useful
and not too deeply analytical notes
on the Sungji Hong piece.
In the case of this
new piece it is interesting to play
‘spot the influences’ while at the same
time realising what an unusual voice
this composer has. The booklet notes
can help. I won’t go into it in much
detail but will just say how much I
enjoyed this Mass especially the Gloria.
This expands out of a single quasi-plainsong
monody into rich, flowering three-part
counterpoint which has a touch of the
oriental pentatonic about it and sometimes
a touch of organum. Often this music
has typically folksy, modal lines and
rhythms and then takes on chromatic
inflections without ever seeming obviously
to modulate. There is word-painting
which may highlight certain phrases
but does not express them emotionally
in a romantic or literal sense as in
the wonderful setting of ‘Cricifixus
etiam pro nobis’ in the Creed. In other
sections counterpoint predominates and
at times a searching homophony is in
the ascendant. The keening opening of
the Sanctus is also memorable. The only
sadness is that I cannot imagine this
Mass, because it needs three outstanding
performers, ever being performed liturgically.
I must add that the
Trio Medieval is superb and the discipline
learned from medieval music pays off
abundantly in the Sungji Hong piece.
All texts are given
but in typical ECM style, not translated.
Why is this? Does it not fit in with
the company’s image or can they not
afford a translator? A listener coming
especially to the early music for the
first time might have found translations
particularly welcome. The recording
is always clear, rich and superb.
Gary Higginson
Trio Medieval with John Potter 
