Polyphonic Music in the Low Countries

Flanders has contributed a great deal to the development of European culture, all the more if one considers how small Flanders as a geographical region really is.

As far as music is concerned, the contribution of Flanders to the development of European cultural life is even more evident: in spite of the short lived flourish of Flemish music (a mere two centuries: XVth and XVIth) Flanders took absolute pre-eminence in European musical life in a very short period of time. Wherever one wandered through Europe and its main courts, cities and cathedrals: everywhere Flanders and its music was predominant. Flemish musicians playing music written by Flemish composers, being taught by Flemish teachers on all levels and quite often uniting those three capacities in one and the same person. The Flemish music became very famous and richly illuminated manuscripts with Flemish music turned into a very sought after gift between princes and diplomats.

The lecture on Flemish polyphony tries to explain this sudden rise and looks for sociological, cultural but also technical (on an introductory level) reasons for this remarkable period in Flanders' musical history. Above all it aims at introducing the sound qualities and characteristics of Flemish polyphony.

Lecturer: Francis Maes, Faculty of Arts

Want to know more? Check the calendars of the following concert halls / festivals and find out if there is an (online) concert that seduces you.

Amuz in Antwerp or De Bijloke in Ghent or Musica Antiqua in Bruges