Hildegard Of Bingen O Successores Analysis

Introduction
“O Successores” is a Georgian chant written by Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179), one of the most esteemed female composer of the Middle Ages (Mershman, 1910). She was a German abbess, artist, author, scientist, philosopher, physician, visionary and composer. Her greatest accomplishment was her passion and creativity in music. She was a very expressive person which is reflected by the music she composed. Hildegard was the first woman for whom a large number of monophonic sacred songs have survived (Fierro, 1997). Hildegard of Bingen had no formal training in composing or singing. The songs and chants she wrote were visions, giving praises to God and the saints.
The chant “O Successores” was composed for the nuns at Rupertsberg convent in Germany, where Hildegard was an abbess. “O Successores” is about praising the Holy confessors who are successors of Christ; who are the only true heroes of the faith,
It is composed of several different lyrical speech-like phrases with rhapsodic emotions with a low level rhythm. The rhythm is based on a syllable count, accents, and long and short vowels. In the background of the piece is the sound of a faint fiddle. It is harmonically accompanying the angelical choir through the highs and lows of the chant. In this recording, there is an added drone accompaniment that was not in the original single melodic line manuscript. At first, the melody seems calm as it proceeds primarily by step within a low register. Then the melody creates a sense of progression and growth as it moves gradually through a wide pitch range. The melody soars up to two and one half octaves, leaping and swirling into a flourish of emotions. The heights of this chant are like the spires of Gothic cathedrals shooting upwards into the sky. The climactic tone is reserved for the concluding phrase, which gently descends by step to the original low