REPERTOIRES AND PERFORMANCE
The Monophonic Repertoires of Medieval Paris
6 sessions
Online
Course Description
Between the 12th and the 14th centuries the city of Paris became one of the most emblematic and awe-inspiring places in the Medieval West. The great thinkers and teachers of the time gathered around its university, merchants and their trade strengthened an ever-growing economy, and the new Cathedral of Notre Dame and the university of Paris became centers of outstanding intellectual and artistic development. Monophonic songs and instrumental music accompanied the growth of the city. Clerical songs in Latin were intoned to express religious and intellectual thoughts and to accompany sacred dances within churches and schools, Parisian trouvère chansons were heard in palaces and manors, the miracles of the Virgin Mary were now chanted in French, rondeaux and virelais were danced all over the streets, and estampies were played on string and wind instruments.
This course explores five different Parisian monophonic repertoires and reconstructs their performance conventions. This is conducted through the study of their composers and sources, poetic-music features and particularities, music notation, and social and performative contexts. Medieval data that makes reference to Parisian music performance conventions is also studied and combined with modern musicological studies of the subject.
Through the course’s six sessions, students will:
Identify the most important medieval Parisian monophonic music repertoires
Place each repertoire within its historical and performative contexts
Conduct poetic and musical analysis of medieval compositions for performance purposes
Make decisions about the application of rhythm, rhetorical delivery, and instrumental accompaniment to pieces following Parisian style and performance conventions
Create their own performance editions of some of the compositions discussed
Compose new ductias and estampies in the style of Paris 844
Learn about instrumental accompaniment in Parisian style
Instructor:
Dr. Mauricio Molina
COURSE INFO
DATES & DURATION
February 17 to June 9, 2025
6 sessions
Location
Online
Price 1.5 credits
1.5 credit ECTS: 340€
Languages
English - Spanish
Languages
Open to musicians, musicologists, and people interested in Medieval music and the Middle Ages in general (with or without experience playing medieval musical instruments)
Syllabus
Session 1 | The Clerical Song: Conductus
Session 2 | Parisian Trouvères and Their Chansons
Session 3 | The Rondellus and the Rondeau: Dancing with Clerics and the Lay
Session 4 | Parisian Instrumental Music: Estampies, Ductias, and Notas
Session 5 | Les Miracles de Nostre-Dame of Gautier of Coinci
Session 6 | The Monophonic Songs of the Roman de Fauvel
Teaching Methodology
This course will be comprised of:
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- 6 tutorial videos of 20-35 minutes each (total 3.5 hours)
- 6 recorded lectures of 45 minute each (total 4.5 hours)
- 3 biweekly live Q&A sessions of 1hour and 15 minutes each (total 3.5 hours) conducted through the course. The sessions will be recorded so that students can access them at any time.
- Downloadable materials and links to additional resources
Schedules and assignments:
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- The course is self-paced.
- The majority of pre-recorded video lessons, lectures, and study materials will be posted on the first day of the term.
- Students will have access to all session and their materials until the last day of the term.
- The student workload to review the materials and complete the assignments is approximately 6.25 hours per session
- There will be some suggested deadlines to submit assignments
- Homework will be accepted until a week before the end of the term
- 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.