Early Music
European music from the early Middle Ages through the end of the Renaissance is the subject of this MIT OpenCourseWare course. A chronological survey leads into intensive study of three areas: Gregorian chant and its development, music in Italy between 1340 and 1420, and music in Elizabethan England. Instruction covers the methods and pitfalls of studying music from the distant past, including how to read and interpret original notation. Students work directly with facsimiles of period manuscripts, and where possible with original manuscripts held at MIT. Coursework includes papers, problem sets, and presentations examining specific composers, genres, and works in depth. Materials include the syllabus, assignments, and readings from MIT's OpenCourseWare archive, free to access with no certificate offered.