Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Review of "The Eternal Hero"

Altramar revives art of old legends

Musical ensemble's relaxed, humorous style delights listeners

Waukesha-- There was a time, long before the facts of history were collected in text books and encyclopedic references, when history was the stuff of legends, poems and songs, recounted by bards and minstrels.

This art of the oral tradition, largely lost to Western culture, was revived Saturday afternoon by the early music ensemble Altramar on an Early Music Now presentation at the First United Methodist Church in Waukesha.

In Medieval times, such story-telling often included narrative presented in the vernacular and verses sung in Latin, or whatever the language of the poem or tale. Altramar followed this tradition, delivering narratives in contemporary English and singing verses in original languages. They told the tales of the heroes Samson, Richard the Lionhearted, Tristan, and the Turkish heroine Seljen Hatun.

The five-member ensemble -- one singer, one string player and three members alternating between vocals and instrumentals -- performs in a self-defined "historically informed" style. Not at all a disclaimer to appease the historically picayune, the statement is a reflection of the educated guess-work demanded of early music performers.

The group performs on fascinating, delicate instruments -- a vielle, rebec, lute, gittern, Gothic and Medieval harps, and Turkish tanbor -- specially constructed for them. The members ing in easy, natural vocal styles that range from a clear non-vibrato sound to a more contemporary, vibrato-rich timbre.

It was in the dramatic tales of Tristan and Seljen Hatun that the group was most relaxed and colorful. The lengthy tale of Seljen Hatun was told with light-hearted humor as it dealt with universal themes.

The group's shirt-sleeve style, musical depth and theatrical flair delighted the audience.

Go here for an "Eternal Hero" description.
Go here to visit Dorian's web site.