Ave Generosa
Listening Guide
UCLA Early Music Ensemble; Soloist Arreanna Rostosky; Audio & video by Umberto Belfiore;
Listen on YouTube listen through 3:17 for the first four strophes.
Composer: Hildegard of Bingen
Composition: Ave Generosa
Date: 12th century
Genre: Hymn (a type of chant)
Form: Strophic
Nature of Text: multiple, four-line strophes in Latin, praising the Virgin Mary; [text and translation found at Norma Gentile, http://www.healingchants.com/contact2.html]
Performing Forces: small ensemble of vocalists
What we want you to remember about this composition:
- It is chant.
- It is a cappella.
- Its rhythms follow the rhythms of the text.
- It is monophonic (although this performance adds a drone).
Other things to listen for:
- Its melodic line is mostly conjunct.
- Its melody contains many melismas.
- It has a Latin text sung in a strophic form.
Timing
Performing Forces, Melody, and Texture
Text and Form:
Solo vocalist enters with first line using a monophonic texture. The melody opens with an upward leap and then moves mostly by step: conjunct
Strophe 1: Ave, generosa, "Hail generous one"
Group joins with line two, some singing a drone pitch. The melody continues mostly conjunctly, with melismas added. Since the drone is woman…"improvised, this is still monophony.
Strophe 1 continues: Gloriosa et intacta puella…
"Noble, glorious, and whole
Repetition of the melody to new words sung by all with monophonic texture (the drone continues)
Strophe 2: Nam hec supernainfusio in te fuit…
"The essences of heaven flooded into you…"
Repetition of the melody to new words sung by all with monophonic texture (the drone continues)
Strophe 3: O pulsherrima et dulcissima…
"O lovely and tender one…"
Repetition of the melody to new words sung by all with monophonic texture (the drone continues)
Strophe 4: Venter enim tuus gaudium havuit…
"Your womb held joy…"