Spring 2024 Online

Modal notation is the key to the music of the School of Notre Dame. Explore this notation through the study of treaties, music manuscripts, and genres. Learn to transcribe it and sight read it directly from the original sources.

Learn to read Mensural and Franconian notations directly from the original sources following the instructions given by Franco of Cologne and other medieval writers. These notations give access to the monophonic and polyphonic repertoires of the 13th and 14th centuries.

Learn to identify, decipher, and read the neumatic, alphabetic, and staff musical notations used before the development of modal notation. Explore the monophonic and polyphonic repertoires recorded by these notations.

Learn about the sources, music notation, poetic and melodic composition, and context of the Cantigas de Santa Maria. Explore their possible performance practice following medieval conventions and musicological theories. 

Examine the principal composers and musical sources of the trouvère chanson. Learn about its main poetic-musical structures, genres, historical/cultural context, and performance practice.

Explore and learn to perform the vibrant monophonic repertoires of medieval Paris: the conductus, trouvère chanson, The Miracles of Notre Dame of Gautier de Coinci, the Roman de Fauvel, and the Estampies royales.

Explore the troubadour song repertoire through an in-depth practical study of its composers, sources, music notations, genres, social/historical context, and performance practice (from primary and secondary sources).

Explore a collection of research techniques and musicological approaches that can be utilized to conduct in-depth research on medieval sources. Learn to construct solid historically-informed theories about medieval music and its performance.

The Carmina Burana manuscript covers almost every imaginable subject and  a variety of musical and poetic genres. For this reason, it is an ideal starting point for any singer wishing to enter the world of medieval monophonic song.

Learn about Hildegard’s life and her cultural environment, and perform several pieces from her Symphonia armonie celestium revelationum. This course will give you the tools to sing Hildegard’s songs and make your own decisions about performing her compositions.

Study Philippe le Chancelier’s songs while developing an advanced vocal technique while acquiring practical tools for the understanding and performance of any medieval song repertoire.

Develop your vielle playing technique as you work with medieval tunings, improvise preludes and postludes, and perform different northern French repertoires: trouvère and clerical lyrical songs, dance pieces, and instrumental repertoires.

Develop your vielle playing technique as you work with medieval tunings, learn how to improvise preludes and postludes, and perform different northern French repertoires: trouvère and clerical lyrical songs, dance pieces, and instrumental repertoires.

Strengthen your vielle technique while studying the tunings, repertoires, and performance practice precepts (ornamentation, phrasing, rhythm) given by Jerome of Moravia in his Tractatus de music (c. 1280).

Learn the basics of portative organ technique and performance practice while immersing yourself in the world of medieval music and its repertoires.

Expand your repertoire and gain in expressivity and flexibility in your performance practice by developing a strong bellow technique and by learning a variety of articulation practices.

Develop a high-level technique (bellows subtle control, precise tuning, expressiveness) as you explore an array of repertoires related to the instrument. Learn about the organ’s function and symbolism in its medieval context.

Advance your bagpipe (musa) or Pipe and Tabor playing technique while reconstructing a collection of pieces for these instruments based on the pastourelle, dance song, and instrumental music repertoires connected to them in medieval sources.