Call For Papers: Contrafact in the Middle Ages, 23-24 October 2023
We are pleased to announce the international conference Contrafact in the Middle Ages organised by the Masaryk Institute and Archives of the Czech Academy of Sciences, project The Use and Reception of Contrafact in Late Medieval Liturgical Chant, in collaboration with the project Old Myths, New Facts, to be held online on 23-24 October 2023. This interdisciplinary conference aims to bring together researchers to explore the creation, use, and significance of contrafacta in musical life in the Middle Ages to widen our collective understanding of its prevalence and importance in medieval society.
Contrafaction, the practice of adapting pre-existing melodies to new texts, was an integral part of medieval musical life. It featured heavily in both liturgical and secular musical soundscapes, and served as a conduit for cultural expression, religious devotion, and social commentary. In secular life, contrafacta allowed for the reinterpretation and contextualisation of popular songs, and within religious settings, the practice often facilitated the incorporation of vernacular languages and themes into liturgical life. The study of medieval contrafacta offers valuable insights into the complex interplay between religious piety, social commentary, and the literary and musical creativity of the Middle Ages.
We invite participants from any discipline to submit abstracts for 20-minute papers on any topic related to contrafacta in the Middle Ages. Potential areas include but are not limited to:
- Liturgical Contrafacta
- Secular Contrafacta
- Contrafacta and the Troubadour Tradition
- Monophonic or Polyphonic Contrafacta
- Contrafacta in Intercultural Exchanges
- Composition Praxis
- Repertoire and Manuscript Studies
- Performance Practice
- Reception of Contrafacta
- Digital Tools for Contrafact Research
- Methodological Techniques for Contrafact Research
- Interdisciplinary Research
- Modern Contrafact using Medieval Melodies
Submission Guidelines:
- Abstracts should be no more than 300 words and must include the title of the proposed paper, the author’s name, affiliation, contact information, and a short biography. Please submit abstracts via email to hallas@mua.cas.cz.
- The submission deadline is 25 June 2023.
- Notification of acceptance will be sent via email in the first week of July 2023.
