Sequentia - The Rheingold Curse

Sequentia - The Rheingold Curse (2002)

"Sequentia is an early music ensemble, started in 1977 by Benjamin Bagby and the late Barbara Thornton. The group specializes mainly in Medieval music. Sequentia focuses particularly on music with texts, specifically chants and other stories with music, such as the Icelandic Edda. They are interested in the interplay between drama and music, and sometimes do partially staged performances, such as that of Hildegard of Bingen’s Ordo Virtutum. Bagby and Thornton have both been active in original research on the projects they perform.

Originally based in Cologne, Germany, the group has recently moved to Paris.

The only long-term members of Sequentia seem to be Benjamin Bagby, Barbara Thornton before her death, and Katarina Livljanic. The rest of the members are hired according to the needs of the particular project.

They mainly record on the Deutsche Harmonia Mundi Label." (Last.fm)

Disc 1
01 | Hlióðs bið ec allar kindir (Voluspá I)
02 | Óðinn oc Hœnir oc Loki hofðo komit til Andvarafors (Reginsmál)
03 | Sveinn oc sveinn, hveriom ertu sveini um borinn? (Fáfnismál)
04 | Hvat beit brynio, hví bra ec svefni? (Sigrdrífomál)
05 | Instrumental interlude
05 | Ár var, þatz Sigurðr sótti Giúca (Sigurðarkviða in scamma I)



Disc 2
01 | Guðrúnarkviða in Fyrsta (The First Lay of Gudrun)
02 | Sigurðarkviða in scamma II (A Short Poem About Sigurd, part 2)
03 | Guðrúnarkviða onnor (The Second Lay of Gudrun)
04 | Atlakviða (The Lay of Atli)
05 | Voluspá II (The Prophecy of the Seeress, part 2)

Availability: It took me years to find this CD at an affordable price.  Currently there exists at least one used copy on Amazon for approximately $35 (and at least one copy for $170).  No MP3 available.


Link in comments.