Music in the service of monastic diplomacy

Magdalena Walter-Mazur

Abstract

In the 17th and 18th centuries, a prioress or abbess at a nunnery had a status similar to that of a feudal lord. She represented the monastery in contacts with the ecclesiastic and secular authorities, and felt responsible for its material well-being, which frequently entailed the need to maintain good relations and to negotiate with persons on whom the convent was to some extent dependent, as well as with the parents or guardians of potential rich candidates for the cloistered life. The latter could bring in a large dowry, which was important for the material functioning of the monastic community. Another group of persons to remain on good terms with were the prioress’s relatives and all those who might influence the frequent disputes concerning property. In the period of monastic order dissolutions, it was important to prove to the decision-makers that the given convent was well-off and perfectly organised. Finally, in those turbulent times prioresses frequently had to negotiate with the commanders of troops passing through their lands or cities.

I have used the description of events found in the chronicle of the Benedictine Nuns of Sandomierz, compiled in the years 1762–1780, to illustrate the ways in which music performed by the convent’s ensemble was used by the abbess in her diplomatic efforts. I give examples of the representative and ‘accompanying’ functions of music at the Benedictine Nuns’ Monastery in Sandomierz, as well as of the role of a concert as a ‘gift’ which creates an obligation.