MHST 550: Topics in Medieval Music
Spirituality, Eroticism and Artifice in the Medieval Motet
The theorist Johannes de Grocheio insisted that motets were only for an initiated audience, that they should never be performed before ordinary folk. This course will explore the central genre of medieval polyphony through a detailed look at individual works and composers of the 12th through 15th centuries. We will investigate such issues as the interplay of the spiritual and erotic, sometimes in one and the same piece; the impact and affect of multiple texts, often with different perspectives; the use and transformation of pre-existent material; and underlying structures such as musical repetition, isorhythm, and numerology. We will also investigate the milieu in which the motet flourished, and the audiences for which they were intended. Course requirements include weekly listening and reading, oral presentations, and a term project.
(2 credits) A. Hallmark
2011-08-09
SARAH VAUGHAN