Corvus Corax
Cantus Buranus

Many have attempted to recreate songs and melodies from the medieval era through unique transpositions into various modern musical styles (just think of different branches of metal, folk, and music commonly defined as dark). However, the results have been mixed, and not always great. At the top of the sources to draw from abundantly stands the rich manuscript of the Carmina Burana, and among the most inspired acts of the medieval folk scene of all time, we certainly find Corvus Corax. They have been gracing the stage since 1989 and boast numerous bands inspired by them (including the excellent fellow countrymen Faun) as followers.

The group consists of eight "Kings of the Minstrels" (as they love to call themselves), who are highly skilled musicians (but also excellent actors in their performances with a high degree of theatricality) that, with the help of original instrumentation (among winds, percussion, and bagpipes, which have become the true trademark of the band), create pieces with an ancestral flavor, not mystical but concrete and everyday, with frenzied and danceable rhythms, partially distancing themselves from that ethereal aura that, with disarming elegance, adorns the works of many other bands in the medieval music scene.

In reality, this album is perhaps the most dissimilar from others in the discography and slightly deviates from the aforementioned principles. "Cantus Buranus" is indeed an interpretation (published in 2005) of the famous manuscript in Latin, for which, besides the band, a full symphony orchestra and three mixed choirs collaborated, creating a sound dimension that in its live performance (unfortunately, the live DVD attached to the album is not in my possession), I am sure, has the potential to assume connotations of a magnum opus, with worldwide success. Yet, I am sure that success is not a priority for Corvus Corax, as the sincerity of intent in creating such an initiative is tangible, and so is their visceral love for the music and traditions of the Middle Ages.

As I was saying, "Cantus Buranus" is a colossal work, I daresay mammoth; it manages to connect three dimensions seemingly very distant from each other: that of traditional music (widely experimented in the German group's previous works) and that of classical music, all while adding a modern flavor, almost creating a bridge between the temporal reality to which the music refers and the one in which the album was composed and recorded. Any type of listener can approach the album without fear: the risk of boredom has been catapulted afar. Corvus Corax, being skilled minstrels, know how to keep their court of spectators constantly engaged. Thus, we find ourselves venturing for nearly an hour through treacherous musical paths, made of stern and imposing choirs ("Fortuna"), long and rhapsodic bagpipe rides ("Dulcissima"), and epic percussion triumphs (it feels like taking part in a medieval dance floor), as in "O langueo" and "Nummus", the most atypical pieces of the entire collection. Among all the pieces on the setlist, I dare, however, to highlight "Sol solo", slower in its pace and tinted with melancholy, "Venus", so intriguing in its perfect modulation of call and response between the strings and bagpipes that sketch the melodic line upon which supreme and overwhelming epic choirs will rise, and the concluding "Ergo bibamus" with its dark omens.

The only risk during the listening is losing one's head; perhaps someone might be inspired to invent a time machine, to travel back to distant eras, maybe to the court of a king recently victorious from battle, amidst never-ending feasts where festive atmospheres, dances, songs, and wine dominate. But it would be an unnecessary endeavor; the Middle Ages have never felt so close... and the court gives heartfelt applause to these bards of the modern era! Trying to stay grounded, I am also compelled to point out the only evident limitation of "Cantus Buranus", which is prioritizing impact and majesty over emotional depth. For this reason, I couldn’t give the top rating.

Nonetheless, we are faced with one of the finest examples of modern reinterpretation of medieval musical traditions, but if within a scene it's usual to always seek genuine emotions, perhaps it's better to begin the exploration starting from other albums.