Minne

The writings of 13th-century Dutch poet and mystic Hadewijch provide the springboard for these contemporary interpretations of ancient texts and music. “Minne” and “Orewoet”—the Middle Dutch words for “love” and “desire,” respectively, both key themes in Hadewijch’s writings—are central to Holland Baroque and Bastarda’s path through medieval plainsong and renaissance polyphony. The resulting music, born of the magical combination of piquant period strings, haunting clarinets, and accordion, is inventive, often mysterious, but always beguiling. Each piece, whether a response to Hildegard von Bingen’s “Spiritus sanctus” or Palestrina’s “Nigra sum,” retains hints of the original music, while also taking us on a spontaneous and often poignant journey.