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FESTIVAL OF SAINT-VICTOR

44 ^e FESTIVAL OF SAINT-VICTOR

Chemin de Saint-Jacques Marseille step

Arianna Savall, Ensemble La Fenice

St. Victor e based at the V , the oldest abbey in France, with its 1,500 years, houses, for 44 years a great music festival. This stone vessel would have raised a huge swell of the Old Port to the file in tribute to the top of the promontory which is the first step to climb to the Virgin of the Guard post, seems its niche, sink your teeth into the sky.

As used throughout the ramifications of its European routes religious buildings offered rest and a step and pious pilgrims, is a Jacobean route, deviated slightly to the south who halted with Arianna Savall and Ensemble La Fenice directed by Jean Tubéry .

St. Jacques de Compostela

The tip of Europe, the extreme western tip that eventually land on the continent, this last promontory that plunges into the dark abyss the ocean like a taut bow to the unknown "dark sea" to limit or to the end of the world, has remained committed since the dawn of time, magic, miracle, in witchcraft: The site called for in the ritual, worship, culture. The Celts celebrated their mysterious practices; superimposed the Romans before their gods that Christians do not replace the idols by the saints and goddesses by their virgins.

On summer nights, above the heads dreaming of travel, nostalgic signs, anxious wonderful, the Milky Way with its myriads of stars processionary seems to draw from the confines of the most remote distant Europe Northern white nebulous path that leads towards this end miraculously finished and defined the earth Campus Stellae , Compostela, 'Field of stars', as the Romans would call.

During the centuries since the Middle Ages, thousands of men lost in misery but frantic faith, piety, follow this path in the darkness of their sinful lives in search of divine mercy, the recovery purify them through a compassionate intercessor, Saint-Jacques, hyphen earth and God. It's amazing that the noise ran ay we discovered the tomb of the apostle St., Jerusalem taken by the infidels, with Rome, St. Jacques became the great Christian pilgrimage. And the first crusade against the Muslims who invaded Spain, except that the north, which will drain a timely attendance and financial support for military combat: the Cross against the Crescent. And Saint-Jacques, on his white horse, his red cape flying in the wind, waving a bright and blazing sword, became Saint-Jacques Matamoros, literally, 'Matamoros', killer of Moors, appearing in the clouds to guide the Christians and warrior hounds addition to the infidel.

One way of Saint Jacques

In music, the path from Strasbourg we had artists, punctuated by steps secular, linguistic and musical, which marked the long, harsh and patient path made by the pilgrims on foot, hat head, a hand bell and shell the other for drinking and begging: the Coquillards.

On an organ drone that treats the web shadowy aisles of the dark background of the abbey, a fine voice, gently luminous thread, breadcrumb trail of faith and looks forward figure lit a smile of the soprano who joined the choir in a semicircle, like welcoming arms of the apse. Atmosphere is created: sweetness, enthusiasm, charm, poetry.

Arianna Savall, miniature smiling, is not disfigured by a great voice and the four musicians sound to soften his touch. The organ makes a soft plush carpets, sometimes glittering gold money from the harpsichord, cornet, blurred mist the dulcian as sweet as his name trace hazy horizons and the flute sharpens spirals, interlacing lakes and golden ornaments such as gothic or baroque flourishes on top of it while the strings plucked theorbo and guitar piquètent delicate lace the soft tissue air music. Ariane itself recites the notes of the harp and gold stars are born under her fingers, halo light mandorla sticker gothic.

is refined, delicate and simple at once, not without humor: John Tubéry to distinguish the steps, said jokingly texts, or more naive scholars from these ancient codices, who captured the poems and songs collected along the roads to alleviate the hardships the pilgrims and vicissitudes of this long journey.

The songs are religious or secular, serious or gay, or slow dancing. We go from Gregorian chant to the departure of Strasbourg and linguistic landscape of musical eras and regions crossed: one follows the Rhone, we believe, in the Avignon popes, Italy (Matteo Coferati) who join the wandering cohort with their music. Then there are countries where the langue d'oc are found around the corner with Stephen Moulinié "air de cour" cleverly decorated in his cuts, and will be seen after Aragon and Castile English tunes in this kind of melting pot of cultures that became such pilgrimages where Andrea Falconiero coexists with Bataille, Soler, which brewed people, their languages, cultures and building finally walking to Compostela.

Touching trip back in time and dreamy heart of man seeking redemption. One regret: with such a beautiful music program, a program so full of mistakes. But the faults and mixtures of languages are probably atoned for down the road of Saint-Jacques.

Photos: Yves Bergé

1. Abbey of Saint-Victor;

2. Arianna Savall and the ensemble La Fenice;

3. At right, Jean Tubéry.

Festival of Saint-Victor
November 25, 2010

A camino de Santiago
by Arianna Savall and Ensemble La Fenice:

La Fenice Officer Jean Tubéry, recorders, trumpet, vocals;

Ariana Savall, soprano, harp;

Juan Sebastian Lima, theorbo, guitar;

Krzysztof Lewandoski , dulcian;

Michael Hell, organ, harpsichord, recorders, vocals.