Reviews

Go here for D. Self's 1997 meditation on Nova Stella.

"Deep and timeless resonance."-- Bloomington Voice

Go here for the brief Christmas '97 review of Nova Stella.

"Touched by equal parts of elegance and vitality... evokes the timelessness of the Christmas story." -- Detroit News

Go here for Lansing McCloskey's Boston Early Music News review of Crossroads of the Celts.

"Talent, creativity, and imagination...thoroughness of scholarship...If this isn't the very definition of HIP then I don't know what is."--Boston Early Music News

Go here for the Reno Gazette-Journal review of Saint Francis and the Minstrels of God. Prodigy got 4 stars, we got 3...guess we need more hair mousse!

"Sheer delight...richness and rhythmic variety...fascinating colors and effects [and] crisp charm."--Reno Gazette-Journal

Go here for the May 97 Het Nieuwsblad review of Saint Francis and the Minstrels of God. And if you can help us translate the Dutch, please let us know!

"Elk nieuw werk wordt eerst musicologisch benaderd, vooraleer het ingestudeerd wordt."--Het Nieuwsblad

Go here for the May 97 Sing Out! review of Saint Francis and the Minstrels of God.

"Transporting, magical, from the very first bar..." --Sing Out!

Go here for the Sunday Star-Ledger review of Saint Francis.

"Moving performances...remarkably fresh, open-throated singing... Even if you haven't read it in the notes, you feel something special going on."--Albany Star-Ledger

Go here to see where we fall on KALX's "Top 35" List (hint: we're played less often than Diamanda Galas, Joe Henderson, or Jerry Garcia, but more often than "Grassy Knoll," Nancy Sinatra, or Dmitri Shostakovich!)

Go here for the 12/8/96 Washington Post brief review of Nova Stella

"Performed exquisitely." --Washington Post

Go here for the 10/17/96 Albany Metroland review of the Troy Music Hall Iberian Garden concert.

"Great artists exploring less-traveled areas of the repertoire."

Go here for the 10/15/96 Schenectady Daily Gazette review of the Troy Music Hall Iberian Garden concert.

"...Purity of sound...excell[ing] in seemingly extemporaneous arrangements...act[ing] and singing with elan."

Go here for the 10/15/96 Albany Times Union review of the Troy Iberian Garden concert.

"Vivacity and verve...a sense of style... ethereal sweetness."

Go here for the Nov/Dec 1996 Laser Disc Gazette brief review of Nova Stella.

"Quite beguiling."--Laser Disc Gazette

"Rich and spacious, beautifully sung and played by Bloomington's own early music supergroup."
"Beautiful realization of medieval Italian laude by Bloomington's own." --Bloomington Voice Top 10 Albums of the Year

Go here for the 12/1/96 Winston-Salem Journal review of Nova Stella.

"Alternates between energetic instrumental accompaniments --of such rhythmic variety that they could almost be Middle Eastern-- and expansive, cantorial recitation."

Go here for D. Self's preview of Nova Stella in concert December 11 '96 for BLEMF.

"There is a subtle epiphany to this music, a delicate transcendence which is deeply spiritual...The result is music which speaks to the depths of one's soul."
--D. Self, Bloomington Voice

Go here for Gary Keller's brief writeup of Nova Stella in the 12/2/96 issue of the New Yorker magazine.

"Medievalists will swoon to Anonymous 4...but they will find a less austere beauty (and probably even greater pleasure) in Nova Stella."
--Gary Keller, New Yorker magazine

Go here for Peter Jacobi's review of the concert recording of Nova Stella in the School of Music's Auer Hall, to be featured on a holiday special program of Harmonia.

"The fragrances are always rich when Altramar performs. The spirit of a distant world of living comes alive."
--Peter Jacobi, Bloomington Herald-Times

And here for the text of Peter Jacobi's review of Fabulae Latinae at the BLoomington Early Music Festival.

"Generous program[s]...built on estimable scholarship."
--Peter Jacobi, Bloomington Herald-Times

And here for Deneise Self's of the same BLEMF show.

"Whether Epicurean or religious, these lively pieces are delivered on period instruments with exquisite accomplishment ...and sung with absolute vocal mastery."
--D. Self, Bloomington Voice

and here for Andrew Moulton's at the IDS.

"Far from the stodgy, restrained performance one might expect from classical music scholars, the members of Altramar were extremely expressive and lively...It's refreshing to see people sing with such expression...and to have the results of music scholarship bring such delight."
--Andrew Moulton, Indiana Daily Student

Boston Globe, 6/22/93. Review of "The Eternal Hero" at Boston Early Music Festival]:

"'It's all folk music,' one of the members of the medieval music ensemble Altramar was heard exclaiming during the interval of their concert on Thursday afternoon. Communicate they definitely do. A certain tone about their performing - the leveling and look-you-in-the-eye intimacy was almost confrontational at times - took some pretty steep risks, but the sheer quality of talent brought to bear in the performance of ballads and narratives about Samson, Richard the Lionheart, Tristan, and Seljen Hatunat was well nigh irresistible. As it turned out, all but one of the attractive and excellent-sounding instruments (vielle, rebec, gittern, tanbur, harp) were made by a single Timothy G. Johnson, who also doubles as Altramar's manager. David Stattelman's tenor had something of an Anthony Rolfe-Johnson coloration to it, while Angela Mariani's mezzo stirred up fond memories Musica Reservata's adorable Jantina Noorman. These visitors from Bloomington ought to come back soon. They give pleasure. We need them."

[From email correspondent in response to 1995 BEMF]
Subject: Re: More BEMF please
Reply-To: slovaas@aol.com (SLovaas)
Newsgroups: rec.music.early

"The award for the most intellectually intriguing concert (in my book) goes to the recitation from the El Cid story in the concert of medieval music by Altramar."

[EARLYM-L computer network. Comment on "The Eternal Hero"]:

"For me the Altramar concert was the absolute high point of the [Boston Early Music] festival."

[MEDIBER Internet newsgroup, for academic professionals specializing in medieval Spain. Comment on "Iberian Garden," presented at 1994 Notre Dame Conference on Medieval Spain]:

"They were spectacular, easily the finest such group I have ever heard. I was moved and exalted and was finally persuaded that a medieval audience would have been likewise."

[Private communication. Comment on Harmonia Public Radio International special, broadcast nationally March 1995]:

"The performances are glorious."

[Private communication. Comment on "Joculatores Domine," presented 1994 in the IU Art Museum]:

"I felt as if I had my soul washed clean."

[Email correspondent, regarding Theater of Voices' performance of an Altramar arrangement]:

"I saw Theatre of Voices perform [Altramar's arrangement of] the Canticle of the Sun a few months back and I'm dying to find a recording of it..."

[Released September '96 as part of "Saint Francis and the Minstrels of God set on Dorian Discovery.]

[From scholarly participant in 1996 Kalamazoo International Medieval Studies Conference]:

"Thanks for your terrific performance at Kalamazoo. Altramar was terrific; and the comments and suggestions made by members of your group at the various sessions were very helpful.

[Private communication. Comment on master class]:

"You...brought the music to life, and showed that it is once again a living tradition."

Go here for the 5/25/95 review of our Early Music Now/Milwaukee workshop.

You are incredible."

Go here for the 5/7/95 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel review of the Eternal Hero concert.

"Shirt-sleeve style, musical depth and theatrical flair."

"That was a stunning performance."

"Four strong singers and instrumentalists."

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This page and all contents copyright 1995 by Altramar medieval music ensemble.