| Review by JJ January 26, 2010 (7 of 8 found this review helpful)
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The Forgotten Kingdom tells the story of the Crusade against the Albigeois, the Cathar Tragedy. Surrounded by specialists such as Pilar Jimenez Sanchez and Anne Brenson, Jordi Savall builds a veritable discographic monument to the glory of a martyred civilization. “Outside the myths and legends,” writes Savall and his wife Montserrat Figueras, “the destruction of the memory of this formidable civilization that was that of the Pais d’Oc, by then a truly forgotten kingdom, the terrible tragedy of the Cathars, or “good men,” and the accounts they left of their faith, deserves all our respect and efforts at historic memory.” In three parts, respectively “The Advent and Reputation of Catharism – The Rise of Occitan,” ca. 950-1204, “The Crusade Against the Albigeois – Invasion of Occitan,” 1204-1228, “The Persecution, Diaspora and End of Catharism,” 1229-1463, the program is abundant, and with a total time of four hours, demanding. Still, as is often the case with Jordi Savall, these requirements are rewarding, and the listener can only be conquered by this exemplary work in which the always captivating voice of Montserrat Figueras is a leitmotiv of pure grace. The label must also be praised for its luxurious artwork, including the black cover that reinforces the ceremonial character of the contents. This is a unique book-disc…
Jean-Jacques Millo
Translation Lawrence Schulman
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