Graduel De Fontevrault XIIIe Siècle

The Graduel de Fontevrault, a significant manuscript from the 13th century, serves as the liturgical foundation for this recording. Produced by Art & Musique in 1987, this album features the Choeur Grégorien du Mans performing chants intended to preserve the authentic sonic environment of the Fontevraud Abbey. The recording was produced during a period of renewed academic interest in medieval monophonic liturgical music, aiming to capture the reverberant acoustic qualities associated with original monastic performance spaces.

The artistic direction focuses on the austere beauty of Gregorian chant, emphasizing precise vocal technique and historical fidelity. By utilizing the specific manuscript traditions of the Fontevraud Abbey—a royal necropolis of the Plantagenets—the ensemble sought to provide a scholarly interpretation of the repertoire. Upon its release, the recording was well-regarded among early music enthusiasts and those interested in the historical soundscapes of French ecclesiastical history for its dedication to liturgical accuracy rather than modern arrangement.