Antonio Chemotti and David Burn on the Joy of Medieval Music Research in Central Europe

In this episode of Studio FCEE, Paul Kolb of the Alamire Music Research Foundation interviews two of KU Leuven's top musicologists. David Burn, head of the Early Music Research Group at KU Leuven, and Assistant Professor Antonio Chemotti discuss their passion for medieval music in Central Europe. They share their excitement about studying music books, prints, and manuscripts that have long been considered marginal in Western academia due to their Central European origins. Highlighting how Central Europe had simultaneous access to both very modern and complex music from important European centers and its own fascinating traditions of simpler, yet mesmerizing polyphonic works, they challenge the belief in the peripheral status of these lands in this period of history. The conversation also touches on the need for better integration of research networks among scholars working in this region and the importance of cataloguing and reconsidering the position of Central European music.