Mini-course offered by the Center for Early Music Studies. Taught by eminent figures in the field of early music, this course is an intensive, laboratory-style immersion in early music scholarship and performance on selected topics, composers, and repertories, covering vocal and instrumental styles from the Middle Ages to the end of the 18th century. 1 cr. Can be repeated for credit.
FALL 2025 Schedule
| Section |
Instructor |
Location |
Schedule |
Notes |
| A1 |
Bradley |
FLR 263 |
SU 9:00 am-5:00 pm |
Mini-course:
Traces of Compositional Process in the Renaissance
Oct 4-5, 2025
So few treatises survive by composers of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and those that do are often frustratingly silent about methods of composition. Careful analysis of pieces, however, can occasionally yield insights about the composer’s priorities. We will examine a small number of works in this course, each chosen because it reveals to us an aspect that the composer clearly took pains to include, be it audible, theoretical, or both. Students will have the option to compose short pieces that make use of techniques discussed in class, and present them on the second day of the mini course. |
FALL 2025 Schedule
| Section |
Instructor |
Location |
Schedule |
Notes |
| B1 |
Bradley |
FLR 263 |
SU 9:00 am-5:00 pm |
Mini-course:
Problems in the Renaissance Agnus Dei
Nov 8-9, 2025
As the final movement in a polyphonic mass, the Agnus Dei fulfils a unique musical role, in addition to its liturgical function. Around 1500, problems start appearing in the Agnus, in the form of missing sections of text. A small number of compositional techniques designed to indicate closure are present in the Agnus, and can help resolve issues of missing material. This course will look at Agnus settings individually and as part of a broad survey to identify musical and liturgical changes happening in the polyphonic mass between 1450 and 1550. |
SPRG 2026 Schedule
| Section |
Instructor |
Location |
Schedule |
Notes |
| A1 |
|
CFA 254 |
SU 10:00 am-5:00 pm |
Mini-course:
The Lute Songs of John Dowland (1567-1626): Performance and Interpretation
February 7-8, 2026 |
Note that this information may change at any time. Please visit the MyBU Student Portal for the most up-to-date course information.
