Jordi Savall & Hesperion XXI - Le Royaume Oublie - La Tragedie Cathare (2009) {3CD Set Alia Vox AVSA 9873}

Catharism was the name given to a Christian religious sect that appeared in the Languedoc region of what is now southern France and flourished in the 12th and 13th centuries. The Cathars saw matter as intrinsically evil. They denied that Jesus could become incarnate and still be the son of God and thus, the Catholic Church regarded the sect as dangerously heretical. Faced with what they saw as a rapidly spreading cancer, the Church called for a crusade, which was carried out by knights from Northern France and Germany and was known as the Albigensian Crusade. This campaign, and the inquisition that followed it, eradicated the Cathars completely. It also had the effect of weakening the semi- independent southern principalities in the area, ultimately bringing them under direct control of the King of France.

Occitania, once a crossroads of many cultures, was one of the victims of the Albigensian Crusade. Occitania s refined culture culminated in the troubadour tradition, which subsequently spread to Italy, Spain and Greece. Related movements sprang up throughout Europe: the Minnesingers in Germany, trovadorismo in Galicia and Portugal and the trouvères in northern France. On this album, Jordi Savall not only explores the classical period of the troubadour school from around the turn of the 13th century, but also provides us with a comprehensive historical and artistic background of this Golden Age. It is time we remembered this forgotten kingdom where much of what we call Western culture was incubated.

Having been a fan of Jordi Savall and Montserrat Figueras for many years now, I felt sure that this production would be up to their usual excellent standards. It is. The story of the Cathars deserves to be remembered. It is a wonderful and terrible story of what happens when the followers of a particular human philosophy are overrun by a mind-set which sees nothing but evil in viewpoints other than its own. The parallels with latter-day fundamentalism and terrorism are disturbing.

The presentation is sumptuous - three CDs and a hardback book amply illustrated with images from manuscripts of the 12th and 13th centuries, and text written in seven different languages. It is a fitting tribute to the brave and tragic people known as Cathars, and indeed to all people who have fallen foul of prevailing ignorance and narrow mindedness simply because of ideological difference.

Hear the music, read the story - you cannot remain unmoved.

Personnel:
Montserrat Figueras
Pascal Bertin, Marc Mauillon
Lluís Vilamajó, Furio Zanasi
Andrew Lawrence-King

La Capella Reial de Catalunya

Hespèrion XXI
Jordi Savall

tracklist:
CD1
01 - Musique Bulgare
02 - Veri dulcis in tempore
03 - Plainte Instrumentale I
04 - Les Trois Principes, alef, mem, shin
05 - Reis Glorios
06 - Payre sant
07 - En to stavro pares tosa
08 - Fanfare de Croisade
09 - Taksim & Danse arabo andalouse - Mawachah Chamoulo
10 - Plainte Instrumentale II
11 - Pos de chantar
12 - A chantar m'er de so
13 - Epistola ad patrem Bernardum
14 - Mentem meam ledit dolor
15 - Ave generosa
16 - Consolament
17 - Marche funebre
18 - Heu Miser
19 - A per pauc de chantar
20 - Cloches papales et bucher Troyen
21 - Chant de la Sybille Occitaine ''Ell jorn del judizi''

CD2
01 - Fanfare
02 - Ego enim scio…
03 - Quant ay lo mon consirat
04 - Molt era dous e plazens
05 - E l'abas de Cistels. Vers. 4
06 - Nous exhortons…
07 - Cant l'apostolis saub. Vers 5
08 - Fanfares et appels de bataille
09 - Le barnatges de Fransa. Vers 21
10 - Quascus plor e planh
11 - Lavaurs fon tan fortz vila. Vers 68
12 - Cruciferi ex precepto…
13 - Vai, hugonet, ses bistensa
14 - Bel m'es q'ieu chant e coindei
15 - Aissi cum es genser Pascors
16 - L'Epictafi de S. de Montfort. Vers 208
17 - D'un sirventes far

CD3
01 - Fanfare
02 - Clergue si fan pastor
03 - Plainte Instrumentale III
04 - Ad exstirpanda
05 - Un sirventes novel vueill comensar
06 - Beliche
07 - Del tot vey remaner valor
08 - Planctus ''Lavandose le mane''
09 - Pater Noster
10 - Tartarassa ni voutor
11 - Audi pontus, audi tellus
12 - El Rey de Francia
13 - Il n'est pas etonnant…
14 - Marche funebre
15 - No puesc sofrir la dolor
16 - Plainte Instrumentale IV
17 - Audi, benigne
18 - Ballade de la Pucelle
19 - O crudele suplicium. Planctus
20 - Der makam-i Saba usules Cenber
21 - Plainte Instrumentale V
22 - O tres piteulx de tout espoir fontaine
23 - Si ay perdut mon saber