Basic knowledge of the forms of the Latin liturgy, in particular of the role of chant in the liturgy from the early Middle Ages to the modern age, acquired through the analysis of the different types of manuscript and printed liturgical books. Basic knowledge of non-Latin Christian liturgies and rites, including liturgical and so-called 'para-liturgical' popular musical forms.
Course Prerequisites
Good knowledge of the history of medieval music and in particular of Western liturgical chant. Good knowledge of Latin paleography and codicology.
Teaching Methods
In-person lectures and seminars by invited speakers. Students authorized to benefit from inclusive teaching must contact the teacher, who through a personal interview (preferably in person, possibly remotely) will identify the most suitable teaching material on a case-by-case basis depending on the relevant categories, as proposed by the Academic Senate.
Assessment Methods
Written test and oral interview. The written test (which must also be taken by students not attending the course in person) will consist in the analysis and production of a critical-descriptive apparatus of a reproduction taken from a manuscript and/or printed liturgical book.
Texts
– Michel Huglo, Les livres de chant liturgique (Brepols, 1988) – Andrew Hughes, Medieval Manuscripts for Mass and Office: a Guide to their Organization and Terminology (Toronto, 1982) – John Harper, The Forms and Orders of Western Liturgy from the Tenth to the Eighteenth Century (Oxford: Clarendon, 1991) – David Hiley, Gregorian Chant (Cambridge: University Press, 2009) Specific bibliography (particularly in Italian) and documentary source material will be added during the course. For this reason, attendance to lectures in person is highly recommended. However, a specific exam program will be provided for those who chose not to attend the course.
Contents
The course will focus mainly on the forms of the Liturgy of the Hours and the Mass, analyzed through the liturgical books that contain the texts and chants necessary for their celebration. The series of seminar by international experts (in presence/online, in Italian/English) will have the aim of discussing the role of music in the context of non-Latin Christian liturgies (e.g. Orthodox, Armenian, Coptic), as well as 'popular' liturgical singing in Italy.
