The Secular Music Of The 12th-14th Centuries France / Светская музыка XII-XIV веков Франция

Released by the Soviet state label Melodiya in the early 1980s, this recording captures the Estonian early music ensemble Hortus Musicus during a period of burgeoning interest in historical performance practices behind the Iron Curtain. Led by violinist Andres Mustonen, the ensemble gained renown for its energetic and unconventional approach to medieval repertoire, often prioritizing raw, rhythmic vitality over the more academic or restrained interpretations common in Western European early music circles at the time.

The album serves as a curated survey of French troubadour and trouvère traditions, spanning works from the 12th to the 14th centuries. By presenting these secular monophonic and early polyphonic pieces, Hortus Musicus aimed to bridge the gap between historical scholarship and modern performance, utilizing period instruments like the vielle, psaltery, and portative organ to evoke the sonic landscape of medieval France. The recording remains a notable document of the ensemble's early career and their distinctive role in the Soviet-era classical music scene.