Description

Executive Producer: Randy Bellous

Hildegard And Her Sisters

Hildegard And Her Sisters celebrates the great composer, mystic, poet, philosopher, scientist, rabble-rouser and visionary abbess Hildegard von Bingen who lived from 1098-1179. She was born 32 years after the Battle of Hastings and 47 years before the start of construction of Chartres Cathedral.  But Hildegard sounds cutting edge in pianist Katelyn Bouska’s hands, as Kate combines seminal works by Hildegard rewritten (with no holds barred) for solo piano, and other women composers Ruth Schönthal, Maya Miro Johnson, Sláva Vorlová, Amy Beach and Bouska herself, taking us on a journey through the “Dark Night Of The Soul.”

Kate said “I was asked to teach a music history seminar at Curtis, one that was required for all incoming first-year students.  In developing these lectures I remembered my own first music history course as a student, a life-changing event that transferred my latent passion for archaeology into music research, “uncovering and preserving bones,” so to speak.  One of these musical “bones” is music by Hildegard. Whether I return to this music academically or for personal enjoyment, I feel Hildegard’s inspiration without fail.  I spent the next semester teaching and re-discovering this ancient yet familiar world from a professor’s stand point, enjoying the process as my students experienced it for themselves, sometimes for the first time.”

Kate and I want to thank Stratton-Petit Foundation for enabling us to commission Kate’s reimagining of O vis aeternitatis, O quam mirabilis est and Karitas habundat for this recording.  We were able to commission Maya Miro Johnson’s bruises paraphrase thanks to generous underwriting and encouragement from Raulee Marcus and Don Pattison.  We hope you enjoy Kate’s reimagining of Hildegard’s legacy for solo piano.

–Bob Attiyeh, producer

Repertoire:

1  Hermit Thrush At Eve by Amy Beach
2  O vis aeternitatis by Hildegard von Bingen and Katelyn Bouska
3  bruises paraphrase by Maya Miro Johnson
4  O quam mirabilis est by Hildegard von Bingen and Katelyn Bouska
5  Canticles of Hieronymus by Ruth Schönthal
6  Karitas habundat by Hildegard von Bingen and Katelyn Bouska
7  Síla světla (The Power of Light) by Sláva Vorlová
8  Hermit Thrush At Morn by Amy Beach

Recorded Easter Weekend, March 29th, 30th and 31st, 2024 in Samueli Theater at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California

Recording Engineers: Bob Attiyeh and Arian Jansen
Mastering Engineers: Steve Hoffman, Arian Jansen and Bob Attiyeh
Yarlung Microphone Preamplification: Elliot Midwood
AKG C24 microphone: Ancona Audio
Steinway Technician: Kathy Smith

SoundCloud

YouTube

 

Recording Session Videos: audio and video “courtesy of Samsung smart phones” not the Yarlung recording chain….