The Musical World of a Medieval Monk: Adémar de Chabannes in Eleventh-century Aquitaine - Softcover

Review of the hardback: 'To have identified a substantial body of music composed by and copied in the hand of this eleventh-century monk represents a breathtaking synthesis of research that few medievalists would have deemed possible several decades ago. To be able to date much of the music and its copying to a six-month period in the year 1029 is simply stunning. And to have such a musical œuvre accessible from someone in the first half of the eleventh century is unprecedented. If anyone doubts that real history can be as captivating as the best fiction, come meet Adémar and read this book.' Journal of the American Musicological Society

James Grier documents the musical activities of Adémar de Chabannes, eleventh-century monk, historian, homilist and tireless polemicist for the apostolic status of Saint Martial, patron saint of the abbey that bore his name in Limoges. Adémar left behind some 451 folios of music with notation in his autograph hand, a musical resource without equal before the seventeenth century. He introduced, at strategic moments, pieces familiar from the standard liturgy for an apostle and items of his own composition. These reveal Adémar to be a supremely able designer of liturgies and a highly original composer. This study analyses his accomplishments as a musical scribe, compiler of liturgies, editor of existing musical works and composer; it also offers a speculative consideration of his abilities as a singer; and finally, it places Adémar's musical activities in the context of liturgical, musical and political developments at the abbey of Saint Martial in Limoges.