Barbara Thornton wrote in 1987: ‘Frauenlob’s lengthy praise-song to the Celestial Woman is a masterpiece of late medieval poetry, couched in the evocative and erudite language of Minnedienst (the service of courtly love) and of the Biblical visionaries’. This project, which began as a workshop in 1985 and later became a major music-theater project commissioned by the Alte Oper Frankfurt, was the product of Barbara Thornton’s intellectual curiosity and poetic sensibility. It was finally recorded in 1990, but due to a problem with the analogue tapes the editing proved impossible and it was abandoned. Only in 1999, after Barbara’s tragic death, could the old tapes be re-mastered and the CD released. Women’s and men’s vocal ensembles are accompanied by two gothic harps played by Benjamin Bagby & Cheryl Ann Fulton. (from Sequentia website) Frauenlob was born in the town of Meissen in Saxony. He had great musical talents and probably held a court position in Prague at the beginning of his career. After several years wandering as a minstrel in the service of various patrons, he is said to have established the first school of the meistersingers at Mainz, although no documentary evidence confirms that early tradition.
The stage name Frauenlob (Middle High German Vrowenlop), meaning "praise of ladies", is said to have been given to him as the result of a poetic contest with the poet-minstrel Regenbogen, in which he maintained that the term frau "lady, high-born woman" was superior to the term weib "woman, adult female". But it has been shown that he already had the nickname when quite young, before the contest could have taken place. The women of Mainz are said to have carried his bier to the cathedral in appreciation of his lifelong, chivalrous devotion to their sex. (Wikipedia)
Concering the video: Obviously I made use of the wonderful "Codex Manesse", a manuscript containing poetry, writings and illustrations created between 1304 and 1340. The Codex Manesse is, to date, the most complete source of Middle High German poetry. On folio 399r, used for the video, we find our "Meister Frauenlob" intent on directing numerous musicians.
I wish you happy listening!
Mirko Virginio Volpe
MUSICA MEDIEVALE
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Directed By, Concept By, Arranged By: Barbara Thornton, Benjamin Bagby
Harp: Benjamin Bagby, Cheryl Ann Fulton
Voice: Barbara Thornton (8 to 17, 19, 20), Benjamin Bagby (1 to 8), Eric Mentzel (2 to 8), Johanna Koslowsky (8, 11 to 17, 19, 20), Karen Clark (8, 11, 14 to 17, 19, 20), Laurie Monahan (8, 11, 14 to 20), Lena Susanne Norin (8, 11, 13 to 17, 19, 20), Matthias Senn (2 to 8), Raimund Nolte (2 to 8), Stephen Grant (2 to 8), Suzie Le Blanc (8, 11, 14 to 17, 19, 20)
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