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Peire Vidal: A Pioneering Spirit of the Medieval Mediterranean

Peire Vidal, active from the late twelfth to the early thirteenth century, was a prominent troubadour known for his ironic wit and imaginative verses. Born in Toulouse to a peaussier, Vidal traveled extensively, serving figures such as Raimon V of Toulouse, the Viscount of Marseilles, Raimon Gaufridi Barral, and Alfonso II of Aragon. He visited […]

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Musical instrument

The Medieval Bow, circulation from Central Asia to Europe

The history of the bow can be traced back to the 10th century, particularly in the Islamic and Byzantine empires. Central Asia has been identified as the likely origin of bowing, where rods for plucking, beating, or rubbing strings were utilized alongside the bow. A mural in the palace of the governor of Khuttal in […]

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Digital tools

VHS for Medieval Musicology: A New Approach to Studying Circulation of Musical Knowledge around the Mediterranean

The Visual History of Science (VHS) project is a scientific endeavor that aims to transform the historical study of the dissemination of scientific knowledge. Leveraging advanced technologies such as advanced computer vision, the project seeks to create a novel analysis tool that can trace the evolution and transformation of images in scientific literature from the […]

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From Constantinople to Mount Athos: The Musical Journey of John Koukouzeles

A singer, composer, and reviser of Byzantine chant, John Koukouzelis was one of the most eminent Byzantine musicians during the Palaeologan dynasty (1261–1453). He was later made a saint of the Greek Orthodox Church. Born in Dyrrachium (now Durrës in Albania), Koukouzelis moved to Constantinople as a child to attend the imperial school. He became […]

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Jordi Savall: From Medieval Melodies to Cultural Activism

Born on August 1, 1941, in Igualada, Spain, Jordi Savall i Bernadet is a viola player, conductor, and composer. His musical journey started with cello lessons at the Conservatory of Barcelona. His interest later shifted to the viola da gamba during his stay in Paris, where he encountered the manuscripts of Marin Marais at the […]

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Digital tools

Sounds of the Past: The Importance of Musiconis for the Mediterranean Medieval Musicology

If there is a resource that has greatly transformed the field of medieval musical iconography, it is the Musiconis database. Developed by Professor Frédéric Billiet and our team at Sorbonne University, Musiconis has emerged as the only specialized database dedicated to musical iconography in the medieval period.The central mission of Musiconis is to curate a […]

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Digital tools

The Troubadour Melodies Database: Bridging Past and Present through Digital Scholarship

The Troubadour Melodies Database is a digital project developed by Katie Chapman, a PhD candidate in Musicology at Indiana University, in collaboration with Jan Koláček and the SIMSSA (Single Interface for Music Score Searching and Analysis) project. https://www.troubadourmelodies.org/ Launched in 2016, the project aimed to create a fully searchable online database of troubadour melodies encoded […]

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Digital tools

TUNICOMUS: A Gateway to Tunisia’s Musical Iconography

TUNICOMUS, an initiative led by the Centre of Arab and Mediterranean Music (CMAM), is an ambitious project that aims to collate and catalogue images and representations of ancient sound and music from Tunisia. The platform hosts a portfolio of depictions of musical performances, dancers, singers, and musicians, illustrated on various artefacts found within the borders […]

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Musical instrument

The Oliphant: Authority and Nobility in the Medieval Mediterranean

The oliphant is a wind instrument that holds a significant place in the history and culture of the medieval Mediterranean soundscape. The history of the oliphant dates back to the 10th century, when it emerged as a noteworthy instrument in various cultures. It was often crafted from an elephant’s tusk (hence the name), adorned with […]

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Ṣafī al-Dīn al-Urmawī: Bridging Tradition and Innovation in Medieval Islamic Musicology

Ṣafī al-Dīn al-Urmawī, born around 1216 AD in Urmia and deceased in 1294 AD in Baghdad, was celebrated not only as a musician but also as a theorist, composer, and calligrapher. His early life in Baghdad was marked by his education in Arabic language, literature, history, and penmanship, leading to his appointment as a copyist […]