A 14th Century Salamagundi

Program: #20-48 Air Date: Nov 16, 2020

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Scott Metcalfe and Blue Heron are back with a release of music from the astounding 14th century.

NOTE: All of the music on this program is from a recording by the ensemble Blue Heron directed by our guest, Scott Metcalfe. For more information on this group and the recording: http://www.blueheron.org

Salmagundi: a savory dish composed of chopped meats, seafood, eggs, vegetables, and condiments; a mixture or hodgepodge; an assemblage of miscellaneous components.

Blue Heron’s Salmagundi is a pleasing miscellany of music composed c. 1300-1400, a delightful salad of ingredients gathered from our storehouse of French and Italian songs, including virtuosic music by Guillaume de Machaut, Francesco Landini, and Jacob Senleches.

Seven vocal soloists are featured along with medieval fiddles, harp, and lute.

Michael Barrett, Ian Howell, Owen McIntosh, Jason McStoots, Martin Near, Aaron Sheehan, Sumner Thompson, voices

Laura Jeppesen, fiddle
Charles Weaver, lute
Scott Metcalfe, fiddle, harp, director

Blue Heron is engaged in the exploration of Renaissance and medieval vocal music, putting the study of original sources in the service of vivid live performance.

Widely regarded as the finest ensemble of its type in North America, Blue Heron presents a subscription series in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and a catalog of exceptional recordings is available on the Blue Heron label.

The ensemble’s accolades include the 2018 Gramophone Classical Music Award for Early Music, making Blue Heron the first group from outside Europe to receive the award; the Noah Greenberg Award from the American Musicological Society; and the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik.

Touring engagements have taken the group across the United States as well as to Canada and England. Blue Heron is early music for the 21st century.

1 Petrus de Cruce (fl. c. 1290): Aucun ont trouvé/Lonc tans me sui tenu/Annuntiantes
2 Attr. to Philippe de Vitry (1291-1361): Garrit gallus/In nova fert animus
3 Guillaume de Machaut (c. 1300-1377): En mon cuer a un descort
4 Machaut: Biauté qui toutes autres pere
5 Jacob Senleches (fl. 1380s): En attendant, Esperance conforte
6 Anonymous: Io son un pellegrin
7 Jacopo da Bologna (fl. 1340–?1386): Osellecto selvaggio
8 Francesco Landini (c. 1325-1397): Musica son/Già furon/Ciascun vuole

In addition, we heard from a live Blue Heron Concert:

Petrus de Cruce (fl. c. 1290)

Aucun qui ne sevent servir / Iure tuis laudibus / Maria

Debra Nagy, after Machaut

Estampie Dame vostre dous viaire

Guillaume de Machaut (c. 1300-1374)

Ay mi, dame de valour (instrumental)

Philippe de Vitry (1291-1361)

Douce playsence / Garison selon nature

Performed on October 30, 2019 at Brandeis University’s Berlin Chapel. Recorded and edited by James Praznik.

Composer Info

Petrus de Cruce (fl. c. 1290), Philippe de Vitry (1291-1361), Guillaume de Machaut (c. 1300-1377), Jacob Senleches (fl. 1380s), Jacopo da Bologna (fl. 1340–?1386), Francesco Landini (c. 1325-1397),