recommended books and music

Below are some books and music I highly recommend by and about Hildegard, and also some more recent books she would definitely approve of! Links to the resources on Amazon are found at the bottom of the page. 

This was my entry point into Hildegard's life and work. I bought it when it first came out in 1995. The charming little book is an excellent starter book to understand the context of her life and her most significant writings. The accompanying CD of her songs has gotten some flak. The recording includes percussion and some electronic tracks underneath her original melodies and lyrics. However, I found this version mesmerizing and I doubt Hildegard would want her music to stand still for 900 years. 

Compiled and edited by Jane Bobko, with text by Barbara Newman and commentary by Matthew Fox.

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This newly released book is the most beautiful and well-researched book in the English language, in my opinion. Hildegard scholar Sara Salvadori takes great care to explain the mystical visions of Hildegard in an accessible way found in no other publication. The sturdy, large-format book includes all the full-sized color plates from Hildegard's first book of visions, called Scivias or Know Thy Ways. This is a book to treasure for the ages.

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This is probably the best-researched general English-language biography about Hildegard that I have found. If you want to know all about her before you dive into her complex writings, this is a great place to start. She busts a lot of myths and also calls out shoddy research in some of the hagiographies about her life. 

Written by Fiona Maddocks, first published in 2001, revised paperback released in 2013.

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Write up a short review and e-mail it to sarah@livinghildegard.com. I will include your name and if you wish, your contact information. Thank you!