The conference will be organized online on Zoom. See the programme. Please register!

Late medieval chant books include individual inscriptions or sections of so-called cantus fractus, melodies notated in rhythmic patterns contrary to the usual ‚plainchant‘ cantus planus. Despite the fact that the repertory of cantus fractus was an important part of the late-medieval and early modern musical repertory, it still remains an almost unexplored field. In the current discourse on musicology, art history and cultural history in general, the cantus fractus repertory constitutes an extremely promising field, providing an opportunity for mutual discussions and collaborative outcomes, particularly in view of the general understanding of „rhythm“ in late-medieval life and arts.

Particularly welcome are contributions on the following topics:

– international repertories versus local traditions

– genres and forms, in particular Patrem chants and cantiones

– compositions versus elaborations

– manuscripts and collections

– rhythmic chant and notational practice

– rhythm in the visual arts and poetry in the late Middle Ages

Conference languages: English and German

Keynote: Sarah Long (Michigan State University): The Vestiges of an Elusive Artistic Circle: Plainchant Embellishments at Tournai Cathedral from the Fourteenth through Sixteenth Centuries

Programme committee: Hana Vlhová-Wörner (Czech Academy of Sciences), Barbara Haggh-Huglo (University of Maryland), Paweł Gancarczyk (Polish Academy of Sciences), Marco Gozzi (Università di Trento), Klára Benešovská (Czech Academy of Sciences), Lenka Hlávková (Charles University), Jan Ciglbauer (Charles University)