Background
McGee, Timothy J, Medieval and Renaissance Music: A performer's guide, Scolar Press, Aldershot 1990. ISBN 0 85967 833 4
Page, Christopher, Voices and Instruments of the Middle Ages: Instrumental Practice and Songs in France 1100-1300, London 1987
Stevens, John, Words and Music in the Middle Ages: Song, Narrative, Dance and Drama, 1050-1350, Cambridge 1986
http://www.medieval.org/emfaq
The early music mailing list Frequently Asked Questions site, a good starting point for links to web based material on medieval music.
Mixed Anthologies
Davison, Archibald T. and Willi Apel, eds, Historical Anthology of Music, Volume 1: Oriental, Medieval and Renaissance Music , Harvard University Press, Cambridge Mass., 1949. ISBN 0 674 39300 7
Hoppin, Richard, ed. Medieval Music, NY 1978
Marrocco, William T. and Nicholas Sandon, eds, Medieval Music Oxford University Press, London 1997. ISBN 0 19 323207 3
Troubadour and Trouvere Songs
Rosenberg, Samuel N, Margaret Switten and Gerard Le Vot, eds, Songs of the Troubadours and Trouveres, Garland Publishing, NY and London, 1998. ISBN 0 8153 1341 1
Transcribed in stemless notation, 134 troubadour trouvere songs, not all with music. Good introduction. Includes CD.
Tischler, Hans, Trouvere lyrics with melodies: complete comparative edition (15 volumes) Neuhausen, American Institute of Musicology, Hanssler-Verlag, 1997
Recently completed. The only complete edition of trouvere songs. Transcribed in modal rhythms. Very detailed and very difficult to use.
Werf, Hendrik van der, The Chansons of the Troubadours and Trouveres, Utrecht 1972
Transcribed in stemless notation, about 20 songs, Good introduction.
Werf, Hendrik van der, The Extant Troubadour Melodies, Published by the Author, Rochester NY 1984
Transcribed in stemless notation. Hard to find but, as the title suggests, complete with every known melody in all versions.
Spanish Song
Angles, Higinio, ed. La musica de las cantigas de Santa Maria del Rey Alfonso El Sabio 3 vols, Barcelona 1943-64
Very hard to find; it tends to hide in the rare books section of National Libraries. Apparently the only book with more than 4 or 5 of the 400+ cantigas. Volume 1 has complete facsimiles; volume 2 has transcriptions; volume 3 has commentaries.
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/cantigas/
Complete facsimiles of all cantigas taken from Angles (see above), plus links to other cantiga related materials on the web.
German Song
Clemencic, Rene, Carmina Burana: lateinisch-deutsch Heimeran, Munchen 1979
Reconstructed (occasionally invented) melodies for a number of the Carmina Burana songs, with the latin words and translations into German.
Taylor, Ronald J, The Art of the Minnesinger, 2 vols, University of Wales Press, Cardiff 1968
Volume 1 has most known minnesinger melodies in modal rhythm transcriptions; volume 2 has commentaries.
English Song
Harrison, Frank L. and Eric Dobson, eds. Medieval English Songs, Cambridge 1979
Instrumental
McGee, Timothy J, Medieval Instrumental Dances, Indiana University Press 1989. ISBN 0 253 33353 9
"Includes all of the compositions that are known or suspected to be instrumental dances from before ca. 1430." Useful introduction.
Recordings
Troubadour/Trouvere
Alla Francesca, Richard, Coeur de Lion, Opus 111. Full price
Camerata Mediterranea, Lo Gai Saber, Erato. Full price
Clemencic Consort, Troubadours/Cantigas de Santa Maria, 4 CDs, Harmonia Mundi. Budget/Mid
Dufay Collective, On the Banks of the Seine, Chandos. Full price
Ensemble Unicorn, The Music of the Troubadours, NAXOS. Budget
Martin Best Ensemble, Songs of Chivalry, Nimbus. Mid price
Martin Best Ensemble, The Dante Troubadours, Nimbus. Mid price
Martin Best Ensemble, The Last of the Troubadours, Nimbus. Mid price
Sinfonye, Bella Domna, Hyperion. Full price
Sinfonye, Courts of Love, Hyperion. Full price
Sinfonye, In the Sweet & Loving Manner, Hyperion. Full price
Spanish
Clemencic Consort, Troubadours/Cantigas de Santa Maria, 4 CDs, Harmonia Mundi. Budget/Mid
Dufay Collective, Miracles, Chandos. Full price
Ensemble Unicorn, Cantigas de Santa Maria, NAXOS. Budget
Ensemble Unicorn, Black Madonna, NAXOS. Budget
Sinfonye, Poder A Santa Maria, Almaviva. Full price
German
Boston Camerata, Carmina Burana, Erato. Full Price
Clemencic Consort, Carmina Burana, 3 CDs, Harmonia Mundi. Budget/Mid
Instrumental
Dufay Collective, L'Estampida Continuum. Full price
Dufay Collective, A Dance in the Garden of Mirth, Chandos. Full price
Ensemble Unicorn, Chominciamento de Gioia, NAXOS. Budget
Chris Elmes, 1999. |
Medieval Articles 
