Reviving Occitania : exploring the socio-political, historical and cultural environment within modern-day settings

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation is to present three compositions, conceived as a result of in-depth research into life in Occitania in the High Middle Ages. The compositions were developed alongside the research, taking into account my changes of opinion during the course of study. The research was originally focused on the internal workings of Occitania, but I soon realised that to develop this topic further, I had to extend my research to the root of Occitan life. This included researching the origins of Occitan culture, religion and policy in the East, North Africa and the surrounding European nations. As a pianist and composer, all three compositions involve the piano as the chief instrument. Two of the pieces, Da Pacem Domine and Ar em al freg temps vengut are contrasting works for solo piano and one piece, Outremer is a concerto for piano and orchestra. Outremer explores numerous orchestral possibilities in conjunction with the piano as a solo instrument. It follows a narrative format, telling the story of a hypothetical pilgrim en route to the Holy Land. One of the piano solos, Ar em al freg temps vengut takes inspiration from vocal writing with a literary source serving as its inspiration. The trobairitz, female troubadours writing in twelfth and thirteenth-century Occitania, provide the inspiration for this work. The work examines the role of gender in the High Middle Ages and in the twenty-first century, due to its presentation in the present day and use of modern compositional techniques. Da Pacem Domine is an exploration of the allegations made against the Order of the Knights Templar by the Roman Church. Studying the activities and beliefs of the Knights Templar, I compiled a brief catalogue of symbology relevant to the Order and explored its multiple interpretations throughout the piece. I also studied the allegations made against the Order and the result of this research is evident in the pluralistic nature of the work, presenting the argument from both sides.