Book Series Medieval Texts and Cultures of Northern Europe, vol. 13

Gautier de Coinci

Miracles, Music, and Manuscripts

Kathy M. Krause, Alison Stones (eds)

  • Pages: 488 p.
  • Size:160 x 240 mm
  • Illustrations:42 b/w
  • Language(s):English, French
  • Publication Year:2007

  • € 85,00 EXCL. VAT RETAIL PRICE
  • ISBN: 978-2-503-52060-5
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  • ISBN: 978-2-503-53899-0
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Review(s)

"Remarquablement présenté et organisé ce recueil constitue, par la richesse et la diversité de ses études, une contribution fondamentale à la connaissance globale d'une œuvre majeure." (P. Bretel dans Le Moyen Âge, CXIV, 2008, p. 383)

"The editors should be applauded for their care in crafting the collaborative and interdisciplinary spirit that has produced this fine volume." (M. Bolduc in: French Review, vol. 82.3, October 2008, p. 627-628)

"Un excellent ouvrage, en somme." (S. Menegaldo dans: Cahiers de recherches médiévales, 17 septembre 2008)

"The volume as a whole represents a great leap forward in knowledge about Les Miracles de Nostre Dame, and raises interesting questions for future scholars to consider." (E. Morrison, in: Manuscripta, 53.1, 2009, p. 142-147)

"This pioneering collection gathers a positively stellar cast of scholars to discuss a wide range of topics relating to Gautier's Miracles de Nostre Dame: the value of this collective approach, (...), is immense. (...) It is difficult, in a short review, to do justice to the richness and enterprise of this volume; it becomes, instantly, the reference point not only for the Miracles de Nostre Dame, but also for Gautier's œuvre in general." (J. H. M. Taylor, in: Medium Aevum, LXXIX (2010), p. 179-180)

Summary

Gautier de Coinci (c. 1177-1236) was a Benedictine prior, a poet and composer, and the author of several very popular religious works, including a large collection of Miracles of the Virgin in French, which enjoyed a wide circulation during the Middle Ages. Gautier drew on multiple Latin sources for his work, embellishing and personalizing them as he adapted them to his poetic design. Conceiving of his collection of miracles as a complete work, Gautier carefully organized the tales into two books, framing each with authorial exordia and lyrics praising the Virgin. In addition to its obvious literary interest, the subsequent manuscript tradition offers a remarkable panorama of medieval manuscript production, in particular due to the fascinating combination of text, music and illustration. Bringing together a select group of scholars from multiple disciplines (including art history, musicology, and literary studies), this collection of essays explores complementary aspects of Gautier, his works, and his manuscripts. The volume offers both breadth and depth in its examination of Gautier de Coinci and his Miracles de Nostre Dame. It promises to redefine Gautier studies through its interdisciplinary consideration of the varied facets of his work as it makes available to scholars and students the first interdisciplinary examination of this key figure in medieval vernacular religious culture.