Listening Lab Response- 20/10/09 Perotin

The film we watched in the lab intrigued me with its odd presentation of astounding information. Its progress kept my attention as the scholars unveiled the ancient mysteries of the Parisian cathedral setup. For example, the architectural allegory of defense against evil from the West by the Cathedral, and from the East by the palace. The musical and religious times come to life as a result of the years of work these scholars dedicated to the unravelling thereof.

The musical performances were fantastic, and it created a new perspective to see the singers at work, since their posture, vocal practices, and approach to performing is so different from what we're used to in our day. It is difficult to maintain a human connection with music so old and foreign to our ears without the occasional reassurance that people had written it and still perform it, and that its more than just a museum piece.

I also liked the light shows that accompanied some of the chant. Such a presentation gave the music something between a psychedelic and an ethereal atmosphere,the lights being the last thing I expected at the time, and had never even considered the possibility. Although I'm sure most purists could find this to be a bit overboard with good reason, it was effective for me.

The Medieval justification of Mary's perpetual virginity by head birth was a stretch for me. However, Athena was said to have been born out of Zeus' skull, and the similarities between those two different cultures is fascinating. Although the context of these two births is very distinct, and the two characters fulfill different roles in their lives, we may choose to see a deeper symbolism that lived in the ancient world concerning head birth, as absurd as that sounds. I don't know what that says about the sanctity of traditional birthing of children. Aeschylus, in his play cycle, "Orestiae," describes Athena's birth from the skull of her father as more pure than a traditional birth, and betrays what the ancients had to say about women's biological role.