The Codex of Guardiagrele contains compositions from the late 14th to early 15th centuries, found in liturgical missals preserved in Guardiagrele until 1979.
Composition History
The Codex of Guardiagrele was stolen in 1979, along with a silver and gold cross by Nicola da Guardiagrele, and much of it remains missing despite recovery efforts.
Critical Reception
The Guardiagrele compositions are the earliest concrete evidence of polyphonic mensural music practice in central-southern Italy, predating previously thought older attestations by 50 years.
Recording & Production
This recording is the first complete recording of the Codex of Guardiagrele.
Instruments
Many instruments used in this recording, such as the lyra, symphonia, viella, bagpipe, and frame drum, are philological copies reconstructed based on 14th-century Abruzzese iconography.
Historical Context
From the 10th to the 15th century, the Abruzzo region of Italy was a crucial crossroads for trade and culture, connecting northern and southern Italy, and Europe with the Mediterranean and the East.
Album & Artwork
The album cover features a miniature from the Codex of Guardiagrele, a 14th-century manuscript that is the subject of this recording.
You might also enjoy...
Petrus Wilhelmi de Grudencz: Fifteenth-Century Music from Central Europe
