From the cathedral, university and street: a fascinating picture of the musical life in Prague under Charles IV

Under the reign of Charles IV (1316-1378), Prague acquired its magical beauty. The astonishing wealth of art and architecture that originated at the time is evident at first glance, yet the king also attended to the blossoming of the city’s spiritual and cultural life. While St Vitus Cathedral was the most prominent centre of music, variegated genres also flourished at the Prague university (Latin sacred songs and French ars nova) and at the Emmaus Monastery, founded by Charles with the aim of pursuing the Slavonic liturgy. Czech songs (The Bundle of Myrrh, The Wood Clads Itself with Leaves), which linked up to the tradition of German Minnesang, were performed in Prague too. Generally known is Charles IV’s reverence for saints and the attendant passion for collecting relics of holy men. The king even initiated the introduction of the Feast Day of the Holy Lance and Nails, part of whose chant repertoire is featured on this album, recorded by the renowned Schola Gregoriana Pragensis ensemble and the soprano Hana Blažíková. The chants and polyphonic songs are supplemented by secular music, with the result being a fascinating picture of the variegated music performed during the reign of Charles IV, showing all its forms.

Track listing:
Charles and France
1. Cantio Plebs Domini
2. Alleluia Virga Iesse floruit
3. Sequentia Ave virgo singularis
4. Guillaume de Machaut – Dame je sui cilz qui vueil / Fins cuer doulz
Charles and Relics – The Feast Day of the Holy Lance and Nails
5. Antiphona In splendore
6. Hymnus Pange lingua
7. Lectio de homilia beati Augustini
8. Responsorium Vibrans miles
Charles and the University
9. Cantio Salve mundi Domina
10. Je languis
11. Cantio Rubus incombustibilis
12. Cantio Prima declinatio
13. Sois tart
Charles and Courtly Love
14. Mülich von Prag – Nun siht man aber beide
15. Otep myrhy
16. Anjelíku rozkochaný
17. Dřěvo se listem odiévá
Charles and Slavic Liturgy
18. Reading for the feast day of SS Cyril and Methodius
19. Alleluia Veselite se
Charles and the Worship of Saints
20. Responsorium Letare pia Aquensis ecclesia
21. Stola Jacob
22. Svatý Václave
23. Antiphona Laus alme sit Trinitati
24. Quae est ista
25. Responsorium Ecce Sigismundus
26. Motetus Ave coronata

Recorded in the Church of Saint James the Greater, Zbraslav, Prague, September 21-24, 2015.