The Mystical, Musical Genius of Hildegard von Bingen

Hildegard von Bingen (also known as Hildegard of Bingen) is not only one of the earliest known female musicians but also one of the very first documented composers in the history of Western music. A polymath and intellectual anomaly within her society, Hildegard remains one of the most renowned musical figures of the Middle Ages. She not only composed an astonishing amount of music for her time, but also practiced as an active poet, scholarly writer, and medical scientist. This lecture will present an overview of Hildegard’s life and travels, her professional
practices and their intimate relationship with her spiritual and religious values. It will also examine her relationship with the Christian Church and how the latter influenced the course of her career. It will delve into both Hildegard’s music and poetry, which became increasingly interlinked, defining the character of her compositions throughout her career. It will explore the relationships between the genres of music that Hildegard utilized with her other practices and philosophies, as well as how her music compared and contrasted with the ecclesiastical musical fashions of her time. It will also touch upon some of her biographical and scientific writings and examine the social and political forces that allowed her versatile mosaic of lifelong work to blossom.