Analysing Classical Music: An Introduction

The purpose of this introductory course is to give you an overview of Medieval art and architecture and to build your confidence when analysing Medieval works of art for yourself. Each week we will look at a different aspect of art, architecture or urbanism from the Middle Ages. We will ask, how was it made? What is the historical context? How did the original audience understand and respond to it? Crucially, we will also consider current scholarly approaches to the Middle Ages, seeking to leave behind the old fashioned view that this period was a ‘dark age’ sandwiched between the classical and the Renaissance eras. Instead we will look at the Middle Ages as a ‘bright age’ of innovation, complexity and sophistication.