St. Hildegard von Bingen - Spiritus Sanctus. For all of her reputation as a "mystic," and for all of her lifetime experience of divine visions and other mysteries, Hildegard of Bingen seems in one …More
St. Hildegard von Bingen - Spiritus Sanctus.
For all of her reputation as a "mystic," and for all of her lifetime experience of divine visions and other mysteries, Hildegard of Bingen seems in one sense not to have paid much attention to the Holy Spirit. In her copious output of liturgical music and poetry for all of the Company of Heaven, she left numerous pieces devoted to the Father, the Son, and the Blessed Virgin; she wrote music to praise all manner of saints, martyrs, and confessors, as well as pieces specifically devoted to local saints and even a complete service to the holy virgin St. Ursula. In all this prolific composition, she only composed a scant four chants singularly devoted to the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, her other poetry -- especially those pieces detailing the lives of individual saints and holy virgins -- is completely infused with references to the Spirit, often seen as a literal dove descending upon them, at work in their lives and giving them strength, conviction, and inspiration. It may be that the pieces "only" for the Spirit, such as her antiphon Spiritus sanctus vivificans, offer a distillation of her vision for the divine member of the Trinity who was always present in all of the rest of life.
Her Latin poetry in this antiphon is strong and direct in mystical faith and in the predominance of aspirant language. The Spirit is seen as powerfully underpinning all of human life: "Holy Spirit lifegiving, impelling all life; you are the source of all creatures and the one washing away all imperfections and sins and the smears of wounds. Thus also the life of praise lifted up is gleaming in you, and you are resurrecting all." The very first melodic phrase is almost a textbook "Hildegardian" melody, opening with a crystal-clear exposition of the tonic, fifth, and upper tonic. The following phrase continues the modal purity until just before the textual reference to "imperfections," at which point the melody suddenly shifts to a more somber plagal mode. For the remainder of the chant, Hildegard allows the musical trajectory to mirror the theological hope of the text, that the strength of the faith that can redeem all of our imperfections, and resurrect all of our wounded lives....
For all of her reputation as a "mystic," and for all of her lifetime experience of divine visions and other mysteries, Hildegard of Bingen seems in one sense not to have paid much attention to the Holy Spirit. In her copious output of liturgical music and poetry for all of the Company of Heaven, she left numerous pieces devoted to the Father, the Son, and the Blessed Virgin; she wrote music to praise all manner of saints, martyrs, and confessors, as well as pieces specifically devoted to local saints and even a complete service to the holy virgin St. Ursula. In all this prolific composition, she only composed a scant four chants singularly devoted to the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, her other poetry -- especially those pieces detailing the lives of individual saints and holy virgins -- is completely infused with references to the Spirit, often seen as a literal dove descending upon them, at work in their lives and giving them strength, conviction, and inspiration. It may be that the pieces "only" for the Spirit, such as her antiphon Spiritus sanctus vivificans, offer a distillation of her vision for the divine member of the Trinity who was always present in all of the rest of life.
Her Latin poetry in this antiphon is strong and direct in mystical faith and in the predominance of aspirant language. The Spirit is seen as powerfully underpinning all of human life: "Holy Spirit lifegiving, impelling all life; you are the source of all creatures and the one washing away all imperfections and sins and the smears of wounds. Thus also the life of praise lifted up is gleaming in you, and you are resurrecting all." The very first melodic phrase is almost a textbook "Hildegardian" melody, opening with a crystal-clear exposition of the tonic, fifth, and upper tonic. The following phrase continues the modal purity until just before the textual reference to "imperfections," at which point the melody suddenly shifts to a more somber plagal mode. For the remainder of the chant, Hildegard allows the musical trajectory to mirror the theological hope of the text, that the strength of the faith that can redeem all of our imperfections, and resurrect all of our wounded lives....