Classics

This thesis provides the first comparative analysis situating the chants of Hildegard von Bingen within the mid-12th century Cistercian liturgical reform. In applying Cistercian theory, a clear distinction between the melodies written before and after Hildegard’s move to the Rupertsberg is exposed. In practice, her later chants demonstrate shared compositional strategies and motifs with the chants composed under the Cistercian reform, as demonstrated by antiphonals from the third quarter of the 12th century. Moreover, cross-referencing subjects represented within the Dendermonde Codex with those feasts and commemorations added to the Cistercian calendar between 1150 and 1175 suggests that the liturgy celebrated at the Rupertsberg was Cistercian influenced. A review of Hildegard’s correspondence in her later years suggests that she intended the Cistercian liturgy to continue after her death.

This thesis provides the first comparative analysis situating the chants of Hildegard von Bingen within the mid-12th century Cistercian liturgical reform. In applying Cistercian theory, a clear distinction between the melodies written before and after Hildegard’s move to the Rupertsberg is exposed. In practice, her later chants demonstrate shared compositional strategies and motifs with the chants composed under the Cistercian reform, as demonstrated by antiphonals from the third quarter of the 12th century. Moreover, cross-referencing subjects represented within the Dendermonde Codex with those feasts and commemorations added to the Cistercian calendar between 1150 and 1175 suggests that the liturgy celebrated at the Rupertsberg was Cistercian influenced. A review of Hildegard’s correspondence in her later years suggests that she intended the Cistercian liturgy to continue after her death.

The solo entrance to Mozart's horn concerto K. 495 is presented in the manuscript score with two (2) measures of  whole notes instead of the expected repeat of the first theme of the orchestral exposition.  As there is no extant horn part for the soloist, the question is raised, "Is it possible that the soloist was to play the first theme of the violins?"
McGuire juxtaposes the technical possibilities of the hand horn, demonstrating that it was within the capabilities of 18th century virtuosi, against contemporary aesthetic accounts of the horn's singing quality.

I initially created this for my employees back in the 1990s when I managed a music store in Maplewood, Minnesota.  It later came in handy when teaching undergraduate students and just helping my friends understand formal writing conventions.
I updated this sheet with a link pertaining to modern usage of the singular pronoun "they"

Boethius begins his first book of 'De institutione arithmetica' stating that no one can possibly attain the “highest perfection of the disciplines of philosophy” without a thorough grounding in the quadrivium. This paper demonstrates how the study of the mathematical arts was exercised through the board game rithmomachia (battle of numbers) as described in Fortolf’s Lehrbuch, ca 1130-40.
The primary purpose of the game was to reinforce moral character through alignment with accepted cosmological and philosophical truths.  Fortolf closes his treatise with a practical application of Boethian number theory in two examples of plainchant and the relationship with Chapter 15 of the Micrologus by Guido d'Arezzo.

These examples will be of interest to those studying the dual nature of Hamonia / Musica as both aspect of the Trivium and Art of the Quadrivum as well as to those researching performance practice and contemporary textual “corrections” to the liturgies of various Twelfth-century reform traditions.
POWERPOINT PRESENTATION

A chapter from my 2004-05 MLC Study Guide (intended for High School students).  Including brief descriptions (examples from "Rosie", BB King, Charles Mingus, George Gershwin, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, and The Who."
Also includes my description of "Blue notes" and progressions from a self-taught guitarists perspective.

Just a start of something I began in 2010 - got stumped with:  finding any truly satisfactory explanation for the word 'pwnge-leisio'.  Pwnge could simply be a type of bird and leisio a form of llais (voice) but the most direct transliteration in modern Cymraeg is that Pwng (n.m. pyngau) means raceme from the Latin racemus meaning a cluster of grapes.  Following the suit of other borrowed (turtur), leisio might have a Latin origin as well.  Some possible candidates: laesio but in every case in known Latin lit, that tends to have a violent or injurious conotation. in every instance.  Another possibility which might make more sense is the Latin word Laser, -eris which refers to the juice of a plant.  Perhaps then as a language hybrid this phrase pwnge-leisio means something juicing grape clusters.