Contrafacta and Musical Imitation
in Medieval Europe

The art of Medieval inventio is attuned to processes of reassembling, interpolation, and translation, as poets engage with the work of their predecessors to negotiate their place in the larger context of European lyric. Contrafacta constitute one the most pervasive forms of lyric re-creation and show how songs, authors, and performers formed a vital network that spread across Europe, crossing linguistic borders, and overcoming large chronological and geographical distances. Similarly, the borrowing of short melodic phrases, the use of recurring formulas, or the reordering and readapting of music and text are more subtle traces of a distinctly medieval aesthetics, whereby remolding existing material is, in itself, a process of artistic innovation.
By devoting an international conference to the wide spectrum of techniques of musical reuse, we aim at bringing together interdisciplinary and interlinguistic perspectives to tackle a range of questions, involving:

Submit a paper proposal

We welcome proposals for 20-minute papers focusing on any of the above-mentioned topics in relation to lyrics in any medieval European vernacular (Occitan, French, Galician-Portuguese, Middle High German, Italian, Catalan, etc.). To facilitate understanding among all members, all presentations will be in English.
Proposals, including the title and abstract (300-400 words) of the paper, name, e-mail, affiliation, and a short bio of the speaker, should be sent to stefano.milonia@uni-tuebingen.de by the 10^th of March 2024.