MEDIEVAL SINGING | Level 3 – Advanced
Singing III: Dit du chancelier Philippe-A Story of Notre Dame’s most Glorious Chancellor
6 sessions
Online
Course Description
What was the most sophisticated song heard in Europe’s most cosmopolitan city in the early 13th century? Without a doubt this song was the work of a man named Philippe, the illegitimate son of a high churchman and an aristocratic lady, who rose to become one of the most powerful and commanding political and artistic figures of the Cathedral and the University of Notre Dame. What were the songs that he created? (Over 80 songs are ascribed to him today.) Who performed them? How did they sound? What effect did they have on their listeners, both in the cathedral community of Philippe’s time and also among listeners today? How can singers today recapture the magic of this unique and powerful artist of the 13th century?
This course will feature at its centre the study of Philippe’s work and his role in the history of medieval Europe’s most important musical centre. Using this as a point of departure we will be able to grow our singing technique and expand our awareness of medieval song in general, as well as develop practical tools for the understanding and performance of any medieval song repertoire.
Some of the topics to be discussed include:
Musical life at Notre Dame in the early 13th century
Background study on rhetoric in the creation and performance of medieval monophonic song
The sources which have transmitted Philippe’s work to us
The role of memory and oral tradition among medieval intellectuals and artists
Instructor:
Jasmina Črnčič
COURSE INFO
DATES & DURATION
September 16 to January 13, 2025
6 sessions
Location
Online
Price
1 credit ECTS: 380€
Languages
English - Serbo-Croatian
Level
Level 3 / Advanced
Prerequisites
Musicians with intermediate or advanced technique on the selected instrument and basic knowledge of Medieval music notation.
Syllabus
Session 1 | Entering the City: Context — Paris 1200
Session 2 | The Singer’s Songbook: Orality and the Written Sources for Conductus
Session 3 | Philippe the Preacher and the ars rhetorica
Session 4 | Using Rhetoric as a Tool for Performance
Session 5 | Singing by Heart: Ars memoriae and Applied Medieval Techniques for Memorization
Session 6 | Leaving Paris: The European Context of Latin Song
Teaching Methodology
This course will be comprised of:
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- 6 virtual one-on-one lessons (1 hour each)
- Recorded introductory lecture or one group live Q&A session (30 min)
- 6 tutorial videos (10-15 minutes each)
- Downloadable materials and links to additional resources
Schedules and assignments:
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- The class dates and times will be scheduled with the instructor.
- There will be some suggested deadlines to submit assignments.
- The student workload to take the lessons, review the materials and practice is approximately 4.25 hours per session.
- Students taking the course for credit must complete all assignments and class requirements.
Technical Requirements
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- Broadband Internet connection / WIFI
- External or internal webcam
- External or internal microphone
- Speakers or headphones
- Possibility of printing downloaded materials
- Possibility of scanning your assignments
- Possibility of auto-recording (audio and video)
Enroll Now
Places are limited for each section, so sign up early.
The International Course of Medieval Music Besalú offers singers and instrumentalists the possibility of studying the repertoires of monodic and polyphonic music composed between the 11th and 13th centuries.
With the support of:
