Anonymous 4
Anonymous 4
Originally formed in 1986 to experiment with the sound of medieval chant and polyphony as sung by higher voices, Anonymous 4 has become renowned for its astonishing vocal blend and technical virtuosity. The four women of Anonymous 4 combine musical, literary, and historical scholarship with 20th-century performing intuition as they create innovative programs interweaving music with poetry and narrative. Anonymous 4 has performed to critical acclaim on music series throughout North America, in such cities as Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver and Washington, DC.
The group has appeared on a wide range of radio and television programs, including NPR's "Performance Today, " "Weekend Edition, " and NPR stations around the country. Anonymous 4 has been featured on "CBS Sunday Morning" with Charles Osgood, Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion, " MPR's "St. Paul Sunday, " and WNYC's "Around New York. " The ensemble appeared on Australian Broadcasting Company's program "Access All Areas, " ZDF's "Ersteklassich! " and were also featured on Classic FM and BBC World Service.
Anonymous 4 appears regularly in concerts and festivals throughout Europe, including the Tage Alter Musik Festival (Regensburg), Eros & Ecclesia Festival (Berlin), Rheinisches Musikfest (Essen), Flanders Festival (Bruges), Oude Muziek Festival (Utrecht), Festival de Musica Antiga (Barcelona), Festival du Thoronet (France), Fondation Royaumont (Paris), Wigmore Hall and St. John Smith Square (London), Glasgow International Early Music Festival (Scotland), Birmingham and Cambridge Early Music Festivals, and the Turku Festival (Finland). The group recently made its Austrian debut with concerts in Salzburg and Graz. In the Far East, the Anonymous 4 was featured at Australia's Brisbane Biennial Festival, as well appearing in concerts in New Zealand and throughout Japan.
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Holy Manna (Brethren we have met to worship) Abbeville (Come, Holy Spirit, come) Wondrous Love (What wondrous love is this!) Sweet Hour of Prayer Jewett (Amazing grace, how sweet the sound) Dunlap's Creek (My God, my portion and my love) New Britain (Amazing grace, how sweet the sound) The Morning Trumpet (O when shall I see Jesus) Resignation (My shepherd will supply my need) Poland (God of my life, look gently down) Wayfaring Stranger (I am a poor, wayfaring stranger) Sweet By and By (There's a land that is fairer than day) Blooming Vale (O, were I like a feathered dove) Idumea (I) (And am I born to die) Idumea (II) (My God, my life, my love) Sweet Prospect (On Jordan's stormy banks I stand) Shall We Gather at the River Amanda (Death, like an overflowing stream) Invitation (Hark! I hear the harps eternal) Parting Hand (My Christian friends, in bonds of love) Angel Band (My latest sun is sinking fast) |
Anonymous 4 turns from the medieval repertoire to explore the roots of American sacred music. Developed in Toni Morrisonºs Atelier program at Princeton in spring 2003, American Angels includes songs of redemption and glory from the time of the American Revolution to the present day: 18th-century psalm settings from rural New England, 19th-century shape-note and camp revival songs from the rural South, and some of the nationºs best-loved gospel songs. Drawing from collections including "The Southern Harmony," and "The Sacred Harp," - the album explores the beauty and power of early American sacred music and the relatively obscure form of a cappella choral singing known as Sacred Harp.
Listen to "The Morning
Trumpet" or "Jewett"
in RealAudio.
| 7074 CD $16.98 |
| 6521 CD $15.98 |
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Here is a record to dispel
the old myth that chant and early polyphony are really uniquely the province
of male voices, men and boys. It is often forgotten that communities of nuns,
within the walls of their enclosure, sang exactly the same liturgical repertoire
as the monks, their male counterparts. Individual names of female singers do,
in fact, emerge from time to time: the noble Blesilla in the fourth century,
for example, commended by St Jerome for her excellent singing of the Alleluia,
or Abbess Hildegard in the twelfth century, who composed ravishingly beautiful
hymns and sequences. In our own century we have some good recordings of nuns'
choirs, Argentan in Normandy is one, and St Cecilia's, on the Isle of Wight,
another. But this disc represents something quite new: here is a professional
all-female vocal quartet uniquely devoted to the performance of chant and early
polyphony. Anonymous 4, whose very title recalls the authorship of a famous
medieval music treatise, have brought to the early-music scene a new approach
and a refreshingly new sound. They sing with clean, unpretentious voices a programme
of music that follows the basic structure of the Lady Mass, once so popular
in England. They fill it out with a well-chosen selection of thirteenth- and
fourteenth-century pieces in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary: chants and polyphonic
items, mainly in Latin, but including two items in the vernacular, namely the
charming early strophic song Edi beo thu and the gentle sequence Jesu Christes
milde moder. There is a captivating simplicity and directness about their performance,
which naturally avoids many of the pitfalls of an overstretched attempt at reconstruction.
Songlist
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The four female members of Anonymous 4 are dedicated to the preservation of
Gregorian chant from medieval times, and this holiday selection of English plainchant,
songs, motets and carols are all derived from this period. As one might expect,
the texts are often sacred in nature, to be performed during religious rites
and devotions, such as Advent (hymn, "Vox Clara, Ecce, intonat"). Carols often
use the multiple verse and refrain format, that was a typical form ("Ther Is
No Rose Of Swych Vertu," and others). Much more could be said about the historical
and musical context of these works - and is, in the extensive liner notes -
but this background, though fascinating, is not necessary to simply appreciate
the supple grace and open sound of these gentle voices, which is more than enough.
Songlist
| 6218 CD $15.98 |
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 Ç suggested,
maybe, by the delightful extracts from the Christmas story as quoted in the
notes. These extracts come from the "Peasantsº Bible" Ç Paraszbiblia: Magyar
Nepi Biblikus Tortenetek Ç which 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 Yearºs 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.
The 110-page booklet, lavishly produced with both colour and black-and-white
illustrations, is a marvellous little tool and a joy to handle. Songlist
| 6219 CD $15.98 |
This offering from Anonymous 4 is a selection of pieces dedicated to the Virgin
Mary from medieval England. These span some 200 years from the thirteenth century
to the early fifteenth. During this period, celebration of the Virgin increased
with a gathering impetus until the Marian cult dominated devotional worship,
and this is reflected in an outpouring of verse, in Latin and the vernacular,
much of which was set to music. Many of the verses are glosses on established
liturgical texts such as the Stabat mater or Salve regina, and it is the image
of the grieving mother at the foot of the Cross which prevails here, hence the
symbolism of the title: the virginal lily and the sacrificial lamb. Much of
the poetry Ç and the music Ç is very fine, and fans of Anonymous 4's previous
discs will not be disappointed. Their distinctive, all-female sound is as pure
and clear as ever and exerts a powerful attraction, especially if one is plunged
into it by hearing a track or two in isolation: very refreshing. Songlist
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Susan Hellauerºs lucid introduction to the contents of Jacobus, the Liber
Sancti Iacobi (the Codex Calixtinus) makes fascinating reading. Following Christopher
Hohler, she points out that this extraordinary collection of liturgical items,
non-liturgical pilgrim songs, sermons, chants and lessons in honour of St James,
was originally destined for the use of French schoolboys, presumably with voix
blanches. That being so, this recording by a group of high female voices may
be easily vindicated: Anonymous 4 bring to their performance that smooth, unsophisticated
vocal blend we have come to expect from them. It is a lovely sound, and their
intelligent and imaginative approach sticks resolutely to middle ground, avoiding
excesses of orientation and extremes of interpretative theory. Songlist
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A compilation of the group's recordings with selections from Miracles of Sant'iago,
The Lily and The Lamb, A Star in the East, Love's Illusion, An English Ladymass,
On Yoolis Night, and a 11,000 Virgins. Songlist
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Auctori vite psalmis |
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Judicii Signum Quem Creditis Super Astra/Viri Galilei Celestis Terrestrisque Prudentia Prudentium Dominus in Sina Ascendens Cristus Salavator Mundi/Rex Omnipotens Die Hodierna Elevatus Est Rex Fortis/Viri Galilei Ante Secula Omnipotens Eterne Corpus Quod Nunc/Psallite Domino Apocalypse 21:1-5 Regnantum Sempiterna Cives Celestis Patrie |
This must be how the angels sound! That is the often evoked response of listeners
to this exemplary quartet who explore, research, and bring to life medieval
polyphony and chant. The blend of voices and virtuosity of creation is unparalleled
by any other singers on earth. Once again, by research, the 4 have created a
mass, this time "A Mass For The End Of Time." The end of time refers to the
Last Judgement which is most strongly expressed in the liturgies of the Advent
season, the Requiem mass, and the feast of Jesus's Ascension celebrated forty
days after Easter. This work is based on the Ordinary and Proper chants of the
Ascension mass with added tropes (newly written text and music) to enhance the
feel of the music. Historically, the approach to the first millennium saw the
collapse of Charlemagne's empire and alliances which yielded a tremendously
unsettled period in European history. The church under the charismatic leadership
of Pope Sylvester II created a spiritual anchor. Great cathedrals were begun
and Christianity was seen as a primary civilizing influence. Musically, the
traditional Roman plainchant was being renewed and greatly enlarged while developments
in music such as staff line notation allowed these new creations to be rapidly
learned and disseminated. Though the church provided a dynamic anchor, it also
tended to foster a millennial belief in the end of time and that the Last Judgement
was at hand. From this milieu, Anonymous 4 has recreated another incredibly
beautiful liturgical testament.
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Echo La Primavera Angelica Bilta Che Chos'e Quest' amor Nella Partita Non Do La Colp' a te Quanto Piu Caro Faj Se Pronto Non Sara Lasso! Per Mie Fortuna Ochi Dolenti Mie Muort' Oramai Per Allegreca Nella Mi Vita Abbonda Di Virtur Non Ara Ma' Pieta La Bionda Trecca Cara Mie Donna Gran Piant' Agli Ochi Echo La Primavera |
"Second Circle" is the latest release from the acclaimed and prolific Anonymous 4, who are Johanna Maria Rose, Marsha Genensky, Jacqueline Horner and Susan Hellauer. These are 14th century Italian love songs by Francesco Landini, an early "renaissance man," left blind by smallpox, who became a master musician, composer and poet, becoming the chief musician at the church of San Lorenzo in Florence. Anon4 gives us 18 of his beautiful songs, and to deepen our appreciation of them, there is one of the most lovely and extensive liner notes we have seen, actually a 46-page full-color booklet with a number of incredible paintings from the period. Much more than a group of lovely, obscure songs, we are treated to a short course in music appreciation and art history of the composer and his fascinating times!
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Ave Spes Nostra Mi Atyank Atya Isten Veni Dommine O Mundi Domina Fuit Virgo Vox Clara, Ecce, Intonat Omnes Unanimiter Dum Medium Silentium Primo Tempore Alleviata Speciosus Forma Novum Decus Oritur Letentur Celi Salvator Noster Az Idvozitot Regenten Novus Annus Adiit Exulta Filia Syon Liber Generationis Exordium Quadruplate Lsten, Teged |
Ruth Cunningham, Marsha Genensky, Susan Hellauer and Johanna Maria Rose are the acclaimed, prolific a cappella group, Anonymous 4, and the beautiful polyphonic music in this CD almost didnºt make it to us because of the invasion of Hungary by the Turks in 1541. The iconoclastic Turks destroyed artworks in all forms, including liturgical manuscripts. Fortunately some of the manuscripts were copied or carried away by fleeing monks, nuns and clerics. These plainchants are remarkably consistent, part of a major effort towards liturgical and musical uniformity. Ethereal, hauntingly beautiful, one can close oneºs eyes and be in the cathedral where the choir sent this perfect, sacred music heavenwardÇas prayerful, meditative and joyful for the singers as for the worshippers. 20 sublime pieces.
| 6663 CD $11.98 |
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O maria o felix puerpera Pia mater gratie De la mere au sauveor O maria virginei Verbuym bonum et suave Ave salus hominum Mainte chancon ai fait Ave maria gracia plena Beata viscera Mundum renovavit Je te pri de cuer par amors Salve sancta parens Serena virginum De la tres douce Marie Ave virgo virginum Mater patris et filia Ave nobilis venerabilis |
The four beautiful, talented women who call themselves Anonymous 4 stun usonce
again with a soaring collection of a cappella choral music from the early Christian
church. One of the most respected and prolific choral groups(we like to think
of them as an institution) performing today, Anon 4 discovers the timeless choral
works that otherwise might never be heard, or heard by only a few, and brings
them to us in perfect, bell-like tones and harmonies--an unexpected gift from
centuries past. There are 17 songs here, all in Latin, and an amazing, comprehensive
set of illustrated liner notes that tell us everything we want to know about
the music. Put this CD on a really good music system, sit back and let the music
of the angels wash over you.
| 6757 CD $16.98 |
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Awake and join the cheerful choir |
Andrew Lawrence-Kingºs virtuoso harp joins the voices of Anonymous 4 in a wealth
of Yuletide music, favourite and rare, from the British Isles. Juxtaposing pagan
and Christian traditions, the programme interweaves English, Irish, Scottish
and Welsh ballads and carols with well-loved pieces by John Tavener (The Lamb),
Benjamin Britten, and a newly commissioned work by Peter Maxwell Davies. Andrew
Lawrence-King adds special colour playing a variety of instruments: psaltery,
Baroque harp, and a remarkable Irish "Queen Mary" harp which sounds as if it
contains its own peal of heavenly bells.
| 6951 CD $15.98 |
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