Understanding the Old Hispanic Office: Texts, Melodies, and Devotion in Early Medieval Iberia

This book is a methodological and factual primer on the distinctive liturgical tradition of early medieval Spain, providing clear blueprints for future work on the description and analysis of Old Hispanic liturgy. It also introduces the main features of Old Hispanic liturgy, manuscripts, services, and liturgical genres, and models a variety of ways to work with the materials in depth.

Format: Hardback
Length: 450 pages
Publication date: 22 December 2022
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

This groundbreaking work, based on extensive archival and palaeographical research, presents the first comprehensive methodological and factual primer in English on the unique liturgical tradition of early medieval Spain. It offers clear and accessible blueprints for future research into the description, analysis, and interpretation (musical, theological, and cultural) of this and other liturgies. For non-specialists, the authors introduce the fundamental aspects of Old Hispanic liturgy, its manuscripts, services, and liturgical genres. For specialists, they present diverse approaches to studying the Old Hispanic materials, encompassing notational, musical, theological, and historical perspectives. Additionally, for those interested in musical notation, the book offers a practical method for working with unpitched neumes, accompanied by illustrative examples, that will inspire and challenge scholars engaged in monophonic chant. Furthermore, for historians and liturgists, the texts and melodies are analyzed in conjunction with the theological context that shaped their creation, providing a deeper understanding of this rich and complex period.

Weight: 1048g
Dimension: 176 x 251 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781108845892