Having recently announced its retirement as a full-time group, the phenomenal female vocal quartet Anonymous 4 returns to one of its primary wellfonts in this final recording: works penned by remarkable 12th-century abbess, mystic, poet, healer, scientist, artist and composer Hildegard von Bingen, whose soaring music still has the power to stun audiences 1,000 years later. All of the quartet’s hallmarks are present, from its superbly luminous, exquisitely refined tone to its deep scholarship and thoughtfully presented programming. (Not to mention Harmonia Mundi’s crystalline, standard-setting production quality.) Gorgeously presented with detailed notes and stunning illustrations, this album provides a superb entry point for novices just discovering the transcendent pleasures of Anonymous 4; for longtime fans, it is undoubtedly a collection to cherish. This is one ensemble that will sorely be missed.—AT