There are many great composers of the world, but the first woman that had her works known to the public was Hildegard von Bingen. Hildegard von Bingen was more than just a composer. She was also known as a visionary, a poet, a naturalist, a healer, and a theologian. Hildegard wrote many things that ranged from natural history and medicine to cosmology, music,poetry, and theology. Hildegard was a very religious woman. Religion played an important and inspiring role throughout her life.
Hildegard was born at Bermersheim in Rrheinhessein in 1098. Her parents were members of the nobility and promised her to the service of the Church as the tenth and last child born. By the time she turned eight they entrusted her to Jutta of Spanheim, whom occupied a cell of the Benedictine Monastery of Disibodenburg, along with her followers. Jutta died in 1136 and Hildegard succeeded her as superior.
Hildegard's preaching tours through Germany
Hildegard von Bingen empfängt eine göttliche Ins...
Alphabet by Hildegard von Bingen, Litterae ignotae...Hildegard had many visionary experiences throughout her life that inspired her to write many of her works.
Hildegard's music, on the most part, was introverted and meditative. Her compositions of lyrical poetry dates back to the late 1140's. She collected them all together by the early 1150's and titled them "Symphonia armonie celestium revelationum." It is comprised of 77 poems, all with music, such as hymns, sequences, antiphons, versides, and responsaries. Many of the 77 extant chants she wrote honors women. 16 are addressed to the Virgin Mary, 13 to St. Ursula and her women followers, and 4 to various women groups. Only 16 are addressed to male saints and 28 to traditional Christian male figures such as God and the Holy Spirit. Hildegard continued to addto the "Symphonia armonie celestium revelationum" throughout her life
"Universal Man" illumination from Hildegard's Libe...
Hildegard von Bingen and her nuns
English: Hildegard von Bingen illuminated manuscri...