The sonic performance of Hildegard of Bingen’s audiovisions: liturgical or not?

Description

Hildegard of Bingen confronts us still today with her multifaceted and somewhat enigmatic presence. And indeed, she composed many “new songs” in the 12th century. Compared to the oeuvre of other women writers and composers from the Middle ages, her oeuvre is vast. The greatest number of her songs or chants praise the Virgin Mary, holy martyrs and confessors. Their transmission in the manuscript sources does not follow a calendar order of feast days. It is rather a thematically ordered compilation that shows Hildegard's strong attachment firstly to Mary and the Ursula group, then as well to Disibod and Rupert, the patron saints with a direct connection to Hildegard's convents. To other patron saints such as Matthias, Maximin, Eucharius and Boniface, she only had an indirect connection, probably through prayer association. The high importance of certain saints for Hildegard is especially highlighted in the unusually detailed and long texts which are described in the manuscripts as sequences, hymns or symphonia.
In this paper, the question of whether Hildegard’s chants were originally liturgical or later “liturgised”, with a more exegetical character, is examined by means of a cycle in honour of St Ursula and her companions. This cycle stands out from the rest of her work above all because of the high number of chants that are transmitted.

Period	14 Sept 2021
Event title	Annual Conference of the Royal Music Society 2021
Event type	Conference
Location	Newcastle, United KingdomShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International