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Pious Voices and Plucked Strings

Jon Silpayamanant joins the dots between different classical music traditions in the Middle Ages, from Europe to Africa and China.

How much richer would our listening experience be if we could join the dots between classical music traditions around the world?

In this three-part series, Thai-American cellist, composer and transcultural researcher Jon Silpayamanant traces shifting global trends across different musical cultures.

This episode visits the Middle Ages, and the emergence of music notation. Silpayamanant opens with music from the 12th century by Hildegard von Bingen, then travels back to show how liturgical chant was being preserved 600 years prior to this in Ethiopia, while developing in parallel in other Christian cultures such as Armenia. Other forms of musical record keeping were emerging in China, in the griot lineages of the Mali empire, and with the troubadours of south west Europe, allowing increasingly complex and rich musical traditions to be sustained.

Produced by Chris Elcombe
A Reduced Listening production for 大象传媒 Radio 3.

59 minutes

Last on

Sun 10 Jul 2022 23:00

Music Played

  • Hildegard von Bingen

    O Frondens Virga, Antiphona

    Performer: Dous Mal.
    • The Dendermonde Codex.
    • Klara.
    • KTC 4026.
  • Khosrovidukht

    Zarmanali e ints

    Performer: Sharakan Early Music Ensemble.
    • Music of Armenia 2: Sharakan / Medieval Music.
    • Celestial Harmonies.
    • 13116-2.
  • Anon.

    Esma La'?lam 'am?lal?s & ??b??bo

    Performer: Various Artists.
    • ?glise Chrétienne Orthodoxe d'Ethiopie.
    • Inedit.
    • W 260121.
  • Anon.

    Jieshi Diao Youlan

    Performer: 李祥霆.
    • Chine, L'art Du Qin.
    • Ocora.
    • C 560001.
  • Sidiki Diabaté & Sekou Batourou Kouyate

    Ala La Ke

    • Mali: Cordes Anciennes.
    • Buda Records.
    • 1977822.
  • Condesa De Diá

    A Chantar M'er de So Q'ieu No Voldria (Cancó)

    Performer: Hespèrion XXI. Conductor: Jordi Savall.
    • Espa?a Eterna (Five Centuries Of Music From Spain 1200-1700).
    • Warner.
    • 0190295699567.
  • Anon.

    Mamao Chveno

    Performer: Sandro Kavsadze Choir.
  • Trad.

    Khasanbegura

    Performer: Ensemble Basiani.
    • Georgian Folk Songs.
  • Guillaume de Machaut

    La Messe de Nostre Dame - Kyrie

    Performer: Oxford Camerata. Conductor: Jeremy Summerly.
    • Essential Masses, Volume I.
    • Naxos.
    • 900100.

Broadcast

  • Sun 10 Jul 2022 23:00