| Course code | MTX711 |
| Name of the course | Hymnology |
| Languages of instruction | estonian |
| Teaching staff | |
| Responsible staff member | Eerik Jõks |
| Graded or pass/fail examinations |
| Semester |
| ECTS |
| Total ECTS | 3 ECTS |
Course aims
The aim of the course is to build a connection between the medieval ecclesiastical chant and contemporary professional musical culture that would stimulate practical musical thinking. To achieve the goal the course will give an overview of the emergence of the written Western ecclesiastical chant in the 9.–10. Centuries and explain the main features of its formation through the second millennium, inc. the rise of protestant hymn that considerably influenced European musical culture.
The spring of European professional musical culture is in the medieval Western ecclesiastical chant because this genre gave birth to a phenomenon that is so characteristic to the professional musical culture – ability to write down musical information and reproduce it later as sounding music.
The subject is not narrowly designed for those who are particularly interested in Church music. Following the course helps the future professional musicians to learn and appreciate the spring of the Western art music – notated chant and understand how it has influenced the core of our musical thinking.
Learning outcomes
On completion of the course the student should:
(1) understand in general the emergence of the written Western ecclesiastical chant in the 9.–10. Centuries and the main features of its formation through the second millennium;
(2) be able to associate the genesis of the European written musical culture with his/her musical activities and comprehend the role of ecclesiastical chant in it;
(3) realise basic terms in ecclesiastical chant, for example hymnology, paleography, semiology;
(4) should the fundamentals of classification of ecclesiastical chant;
(5) be able to devise and basically execute a study of a piece from the repertoire of ecclesiastical chant.
