Hildegard of Bingen

The more that is written about Hildegard von Bingen, the better! She was an amazing person, a composer, a poet, a performer, a dramatist, a visionary, a theologian, cosmologist, spiritual leader, preacher, philosopher, political advisor, naturalist, linguist, teacher, healer, writer and more.

This is a brief biography to introduce this famous German nun to a wider audience. In 9 chapters the author introduces Hildegards astonishing life followed by an introduction of all her written works.  At the end of the book is a more detailed description of her musical works. It is a short easy read for everyone who would like to know more about this fabulous, visionary nun.

Honey Meconi's book is a nice introduction to the life and work of 12th century nun Hildegard of Bingen. In the book's first half, Meconi provides an accessible and well-written biography of Hildegard, drawing on the latest scholarship. In the second, she offers a more in-depth account of HIldegard's musical works. This second section assumes some musical literacy, but not specialist specialist knowledge. Hildegard of Bingen is suitable and will appeal to general audiences and serve as a solid foundation on Hildegard for undergraduate students.

Well researched I love Hildegard of Bingen. I've always had a soft spot for medieval mystics, but Hildegard especially. This dive into her life by Honey Meconi might not have the drama of Hildegard's visions, but it's the perfect primer for getting to know Hildegard. 

If you want to start from the beginning, I would recommend this quick read on the mystic's life. If you're looking for more in-depth dives into Hildegard's visions, there are other books that will serve you better. 

One thing I found interesting though with Meconi's version was that there was a focus on Hildegard's music. That's something you rarely see elsewhere and that alone made the read worthwhile.

A lovely journey. Exhaustively researched and easy to read. I had never heard of her before and it was wonderful to learn about her. What an interesting woman!

Hildegard of Bingen is one of my favorite historical figures. She was an accomplished writer, musician, and physician. This biography was short but detailed and comprehensive. I recommend this for those who do not know much about her.

This thoroughly researched and detailed exploration of the life and work of Hildegard of Bingen is academic scholarship at its best but for the general reader, someone like me, perhaps a little inaccessible. It examines the music in such depth that much of it went over my head, and, more to the point perhaps, was of little relevance. This was not a fault of the book, which is an excellent one, I feel, but I was not the target audience, although I appreciated leaning more about the life.  A book for serious music lovers, musicologists, teachers and students, and a valuable contribution to Hildegard scholarship.

An interesting book about an interesting woman.  My only quibble is that it could have been longer. Read this book