For the Name of the Blog

Razos de Trobar was written c. 1210 by Raimon Vidal de Bezaudun. He was a Troubadour - a medieval, traveling poet-songster. Razos was a poetic tract - the first such work to be written in a romance language. In this work, Vidal describes the role of the audience relative to his art. He introduced three important ideas into the experience of music:

1. The audience should be quiet during the performance.
2. The audience should comprehend the lyrics.
3. The audience should ask questions if they do not understand the lyrics.

These principals are important when listening to music, because music, like all art, is primarily a means of communication. It is important in any form of communication to first pay attention and then to work towards understanding the intended thought. In architecture, the audience becomes the user and passersby of the built structure. Vidal’s principals would apply directly to them. Although architects have a responsibility to write and sing well through drawings and buildings, they also have a responsibility to listen and understand the needs of the user. This is the point where Vidal’s principals most affect the architect.

This semester we will be working in the community of Bamberg, South Carolina. It is my hope that we will learn how to be quiet, how to comprehend, and how to ask questions as we learn what it means to serve a community with architecture.