Hildegard’s thought, her understanding of the science of her day and, to a certain limited extent, her own very personal musical art lie behind this striking, if somewhat burdensome recording. Inspired by a quotation from the Abbess herself – ‘All world elements are found in human beings, and humans exist by them. Their names are Fire, Air, Water and Earth. These four primary substances are so closely interwoven and linked with one another that none can be distinguished from the others’ – Estampie has taken this series of the four elements as a straightforward thematic structure and woven them into a new and contemporary musical creation. Originally intended for a dramatic production by the company Slot a Lot, the music here is deprived of the vision and movement that must surely be an integral part of the whole conception. We have only our ears and our imagination to make sense of it, and we should be prepared for quite a lot of hard work – and a strong dose of Germanic perseverance – if we wish to be rewarded. We do indeed catch a few glimpses of the original Munich production in the minute colour photographs that adorn the booklet, but they are really far too small to be of much use.
That said, there is still much to be admired and enjoyed in its own right, particularly the complex percussion rhythms, the harp and lute playing and some of the distant, evocative singing by female voices.'