Beata Viscera

Album: Leonin & Perotin: Sacred Music from the Notre Dame Cathedral
Track: "Beata Viscera" (Track #1)
Composer: Pérotin
Instruments: 1 voice
Year: ~1200

Although you can't yet tell from the number of blog entries written so far, I've actually traveled quite a distance in my Hopeless Journey. Of all the songs I've listened to, it may be that the most beautiful is "Beata Viscera", the first track on Léonin & Pérotin: Sacred Music from Notre-Dame. The title translates to "blessed is the womb" and the piece is composed as a tribute to the Virgin Mary. This rendition is appropriately performed with only one voice -- its haunting beauty would likely be spoiled by a more complex arrangement. Although the mood of the piece would be more appropriate near the end of L&P, it begins our experience on a high note, demonstrating that even primitive medieval monophony can be beautiful when crafted by the hand of a composer like Pérotin. Where the Gregorian chant is stubborn in its single-mindedness, Beata Viscera explores a much broader spiritual space and feels as if it is speaking to us from the heavens themselves.

If you have iTunes (or an equivalent), I urge you to download this track and listen to it. In many ways, the medieval musical mind was primitive -- unlike modern composers, they did not have a plethora of techniques developed from centuries of musical experimentation to use as a reference point. Nevertheless, their analytical and creative minds were no less capable and their aesthetic was no less relevant than ours. "Beata Viscera" is a demonstration of how we can learn from the masters of any age; one should never underestimate the power of simplicity in music.

External Links: YouTube