Vision: The Life and Music of Hildegard von Bingen

by Jane Bobko

Other authorsMatthew Fox (Author), Barbara Newman (Author)
Hardcover, 1995

Status

Available

Call number

BIO VON BOB 1995

Publication

Avery (1995), Edition: Har/Cdr, 110 pages

Description

"Hildegard von Bingen lived in Germany's Rhineland valley during most of the twelfth century (1098-1179). Besides being the abbess of a large and prosperous Benedictine abbey, she was a prominent writer, preacher, healer, poet, and composer who wrote nine books on theology, medicine, science, and physiology. Hildegard has been called the first medieval woman to reflect on and write about women. At the age of forty-two, Hildegard began to describe the mystical visions that she had experienced throughout her life, and in so doing she shared her theology with the world." "Through Vision, the Angel Records compact disk of Hildegard's liturgical songs, set to contemporary rhythms, Hildegard's music and indeed Hildegard herself have been rediscovered. The companion book to the CD, Vision: The Life and Music of Hildegard von Bingen was compiled and edited by Jane Bobko, with text by the well-known Hildegard scholar Barbara Newman and commentary by the theologian Matthew Fox. The book is divided into three sections: a biography, a section in which twelve of Hildegard's visions are reproduced and interpreted, and an in-depth discussion of medieval music, and of Hildegard's music in particular. It includes a full translation and analysis of all the songs on the Vision CD."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member MeditationesMartini
Well, geez, it's a glorified CD booklet. As these things go, not bad, and Hildy is fascinating--composer, poet, herbalist, painter, mystical visionary. Some of the grotesqueries in her visions will stay with me--the head with three wings; Satan emerging as a big fuzzy cloud with an evil face from
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Mother Church's womb to take vengeance on humanity. The lyrics don't do much for me, but her music is beautiful, as long as you can avoid a recording with new-age drum backing. And as a CD booklet, it has a lot of facts in it, bringing to life the freaky solitude of the anchoress/ite and Hildegard's means of persuasion, which was basically just to lie down and not get up until she got her way (it's not holy when three-year-olds do it). Super interesting. But I mean, well, geez.
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LibraryThing member the.ken.petersen
This is only a small book, but a significant one. Hildegard Von Bingen is the first composer to leave a written form of her music.
I learned several interesting and, to me, previously unknown facts about medieval monastic life: did you know that this was not necessarily a 'hair shirt' existence?
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Monasteries were often financed by the rich and, the well to do - such as Hildegard - would not be likely to associate with the hoi polloi!
Ah, it has ever been thus.
An excellent little read.
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ISBN

9780670864058
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