The Notre-Dame School and its musical legacy

As the cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris reopens its doors to the public after more than five years since fire caused its closure, Hannah French examines the early musical history of this extraordinary building. With the help of Antony Pitts, founder-conductor of the choral group Tonus Peregrinus, Hannah explores the influential Notre-Dame school of polyphony - musician-priests like Léonin and Perotin who worked in Notre-Dame in the 12th Century. These composers codified a new style of multi-voice liturgical chant known as organum, which flourished just as the cathedral itself was in the process of being built. Hannah also looks into the musicians who followed in the footsteps of these musical pioneers across the following six centuries, including organists Louis-Claude Daquin and Armand-Louis Couperin who worked in Notre-Dame in the 18th-century. To listen to this programme (using most smart speakers) just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play The Early Music Show".

You can listen to The Notre-Dame School and its musical legacy online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

The Notre-Dame School and its musical legacy is an episode from The Early Music Show by BBC.

This episode is 26:24 long.

This episode was published on Dec 8, 2024.

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