In medieval thought, the human being was understood as a microcosm of the universe, a living reflection of the cosmos. Just as the cosmos was structured in concentric spheres and governed by the four elements: earth, air, fire, and water, the human body was believed to mirror this divine geometry. It was divided into zones ruled by the zodiac and animated by the "four humours". Both physical and spiritual health depended on maintaining balance among these forces.
Music occupied a central place in this vision. It was understood as a manifestation of divine proportion, linking the movements of the heavens and the inner harmonies of the human body. Music could attune the soul to the inaudible music of the spheres. Through rhythm, consonance, and measured motion, it restored balance to both body and spirit, aligning the listener with the cosmic order.
With L’Homme Zodiacal, COMTESSA reimagines the body as a mirror of the cosmos and invites audiences to step inside this medieval vision. The program traces the relationship between music, the human body, and the astrological forces that governed it: from Hildegard von Bingen’s visionary chants of divinity to the early polyphony, from the rhythmic symmetry of the Italian Ars Nova to the refinements of the Ars Subtilior. Together, they reveal how medieval music sought to balance the humours, heal the soul, and harmonize the body with the cosmos.
Performed on medieval period instruments including vielle, organetto, citole, bells, and voice, and interwoven with electronics, L’Homme Zodiacal becomes both a concert and a journey. Through sound, movement, and light, listeners are transported into a world where music was medicine, proportion was prayer, and every vibration echoed the turning of the stars. Model and dancer Ellix embodies the medieval Zodiac Man, giving form to the harmony of body and cosmos.
