Gotham Early Music Scene – Midtown Concerts – 6/23/22

 Concordian Dawn – Medieval Song from Aristotle to Opera

Kristina Boerger, soprano; Niccolo Seligmann, vielle; Christopher Preston Thompson, tenor & medieval harp, artistic director

Have I bored you to tears yet? If not …

Phebi claro nondum orto iubare – anonymous – reconstructed by C.P. Thompson
Qui sofrir s’en pogues – Aimeric de Peguilhan (troubadour, fl. 1170–1221)
En greu pantais m’a tengut longamen – Aimeric de Peguilhan
Qui bien aimme a tart oublie (Lay de plour) – Guillaume de Machaut (1300–1377)
Ensement com la panthere – anonymous
Can lo boschatges es floritz – Bernart de Ventadorn (troubadour, fl. 1147–1180)
Nés qu’on porroit les estoilles nombrer (ballade, Le livre du Voir dit) – Guillaume de Machaut

I have actually sung Machaut and anonymous. Have I bored you to tears yet? If not …

Here’s the thing. I like early music, and I understand that not everyone does. The style of music, performance, and interpretation of early music styles is a work in progress. We really don’t know what it sounded like then. We have guidance from the scores—but that’s just what it is, guidance.

This performance was enjoyable for me, even with the compositional styles and performance styles being very similar from piece to piece. I have a page of scribbled descriptions, but they’re not really worth deciphering/transcribing. Both of the vocalists acquitted themselves very well. Both of the instrumentalists acquitted themselves very well.

Would I go again? Yes. 

Alas, next Thursday (6/30/22) is the last Midtown Concert until autumn. Will I go in autumn? Most likely, yes.

For the record, a medieval harp is a small hand-held harp; no pedals involved. I did a quick internet search on ‘vielle’ and got various results. The instrument I saw looked to be an early iteration of what would evolve into the cello. I’m still learning!

ConcertMeister