Mystical Visions, Medieval Women, and the Performance of Early Music
MUSC 241
Fall 2023
| Section:
01
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| Crosslisting:
MDST 221 |
This course challenges the traditional male-dominated history of early music by focusing on the women who commissioned, performed, heard, and composed music in pre-modern times. Discovering love lyrics that express desires, conflicts, and sufferings that seem equally true today helps collapse the notion of linear time. In addition to finding similarities across centuries, we will draw from multiple disciplines, including comparative literature, religion and cosmology, and gender and sexuality studies. An interdisciplinary approach will guide our investigation of the mystical and visionary aspects of medieval music. Topics to be explored include communal music-making practices, authorship, power and politics, and the multiple civic and social functions of music. We investigate how the music of worship differs from that of romance, public ceremony, and private entertainment. These inquiries help to cultivate skills not only to appreciate our musical heritage but also to better understand contemporary social and cultural practices.
Various "medievalisms"--modern interpretations of the medieval--are explored, to show how musicians continue to interact with early practices in new and exciting ways. This allows us to talk not only about performers of historical early music, but also about composers like Kaija Saariaho, folk groups like Vulcan's Hammer and Folkal Point, and pop artists like Janelle Monaé and Florence Welch. The creation of medievalist music for films and video games is also relevant, as an arena where musicians reimagine the medieval for new audiences.
Coursework involves learning through performance, examination of manuscripts, research, writing, transcription, and editing. There are also weekly listening assignments and readings. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA MUSC |
| Course Format: Discussion | Grading Mode: Student Option |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Major Requirement for: (MDST-MN)(MDST)(MDST-Art/Arch)(MDST-History)(MDST-Lang/Lit)(MDST-Phil/Reli)(MUSC) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Honey Meconi, Hildegard of Bingen (University of Illinois, 2018)
Jeremy Yudkin, Music in Medieval Europe (Prentice Hall, 1989/revised 2017)
Allan Atlas, Renaissance Music: Music in Western Europe, 1400-1600 (Norton, 1998)
Allan Atlas, Anthology of Renaissance Music (Norton, 1998)
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Examinations and Assignments:
3 quizzes (30%), term paper (30%), transcription (20%), participation (20%) |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
The course involves regular singing and/or playing but no background knowledge is required. |
| Instructor(s): Alden,Jane Times: .M.W... 02:50PM-04:10PM; Location: OLIN327B; |
Permission of Instructor Required
Enrollment capacity: 20 | Permission of instructor approval will be granted by the instructor during pre-registration through the Electronic Portfolio. Click "Add to My Courses" and "To request a POI electronically, click here" to submit your request. |
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