MUCH 436 - Byzantium: Religion & the Arts

3 Credit(s)

From the time of Constantine the Great to the fall of Constantinople in 1453, virtually every aspect of life of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire - politics, education, the arts - was shaped and guided by ideas spawned from Eastern Christianity. This course will cover the history of Byzantine music. The focus on music will be the primary lens through which the class will examine the aesthetic principles of the Byzantine Empire and will also serve as the gateway to the other arts. In addition to the study of the historical development of Byzantine music, students will have the opportunity to learn to read Byzantine neumes, and to participate in a creative emulation of the compositional style of Byzantine music. As warranted.

Prerequisite(s): MUCB 201, MUCB 202, MUCB 205, and MUCB 206.