Gilead – Stella Splendens (Thousand Times 2015)

Stella Splendens» (from Catalan “shining star”) a composition from the manuscript collection «Llibre Vermell de Montserrat» ("Red Book of Montserrat") which is one of the most prominent songs from this collection. "Red Book of Montserrat" is the 14th-century manuscript from the monastery of Montserrat outside Barcelona in Catalonia (Spain). It is the most famous and valuable manuscript from the monastery library. The “Red Book” contains paralithurgic songs (not intended for religious services) which would have entertained the pilgrims, replacing habitual folk songs, as their content might have been far from divine. Almost all the songs from the “Red Book” are devoted to Virgin Mary. This is attributed to the fact that the monastery holds the shrine of the Virgin of Montserrat (“Black Madonna”), which was a major site of pilgrimage at the time. The composition of “Stella Splendens” is not exclusion – the image of Virgin Mary in this song is compared to the shining star that is placed on the mountain of Monserrat. The song describes pilgrimage of people of various occupations and social classes to the monastery, emphasizing that despite the differences they are all equal before Madonna. The composition is written in virelai verse, with three stanzas (the third is a shortened one), sharing the rhymes and a refrain. This is one of the typical “formes fixes” (fixed forms) in music and poetry of “Ars nova” (“new art”) of the 14th century. ➤FOLLOW US ➤SUPPORT