Laudario (Musique au temps de Saint François d'Assise)

Featuring

Emmanuel Bardon
Barbara Kusa
Canticum Novum
Anonymous
Anonymous (13th century)

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Historical Context

The manuscript is dated between 1260 and 1297 based on paleographic examination and belonged to the Franciscan convent of Cortona.

Composition History

The Laudario di Cortona is considered the first known document where the Italian language was both written and set to music.

Cultural Impact

The 'Laudari' (collections of poetic and religious texts in the vernacular) reflect the significant changes in the Christian West from the second half of the 12th century, particularly in central Italy.

Composer Biography

Saint Francis of Assisi was the first to use the vernacular to compose a poetic song, the Canticle of Brother Sun, and his influence is evident in the Laudario di Cortona.

Compositional Technique

The musical features of the Laudario di Cortona are original, adopting clearer melodic and syllabic lines while retaining a Gregorian mode, reflecting the spirit of Franciscan liturgies.

Composer's Artistic Vision

The Laudario di Cortona embodies the 13th-century socio-political and religious renewal in the West, glorified by Umbria, and personified by Saint Francis of Assisi.

Composition History

The Laudario di Cortona manuscript, containing 46 'laudes' (religious songs) in vernacular Italian, was discovered in 1876 in a nook of the city library in Cortona, Italy.