63 research outputs found
Verslag bezoek conservatoria Istanbul
No full textIn this report, three conservatories in Istanbul and one in Sakarya (Turkey) are described in consideration of possible future cooperation. The objective is forming a clear and thorough image of the theoretic concepts and vision behind, and the concrete realisation and construction of the Turkish music programmes at the respective conservatories
The traditions of mandolin music in the regions of Crete and Athens
No full textAbstract: This study examines the mandolin\u2019s presence, repertoire, and performance practices in three regions\u2014Athens, the Ionian Islands, and Crete\u2014as well as among Greek-speaking communities of Asia Minor. Each region has developed distinct mandolin-playing practices shaped by historical, social, and cultural influences. Despite their significance, these practices remain underexplored in academic research. Employing a multidisciplinary methodology that integrates archival research, fieldwork, and artistic experimentation, the study explores the mandolin's role in these musical environments and its evolution from the late 19th century to the present. Historical and contemporary sources\u2014including early recordings, manuscripts, oral histories, and performance practices\u2014 are examined to comprehensively understand these traditions. The research focuses on several key areas: * The mandolin\u2019s role in the urban musical landscape of late 19th- and early 20th-century Athens and among Greek-speaking communities of Asia Minor, particularly in relation to Estudiantina ensembles in Asia Minor and Mandolinates in Athens. * The repertoire and performance practices of the Ionian Islands, particularly kantades and their connection to local mandolin ensembles. * The integration of the mandolin into Cretan musical practices, especially in relation to dance music and informal gatherings (parea). This study addresses critical questions, such as: What are the characteristic performance techniques and musical idioms associated with these traditions? How have oral and written transmission processes shaped their repertoire and playing styles? What role has the mandolin played in the broader cultural and musical networks of these regions? How can artistic research methodologies contribute to understanding and disseminating these practices today? As an artistic research project, the study engages with these traditions not only through historical inquiry but also through performance-based methods. By reconstructing repertoire, experimenting with playing techniques, and developing new approaches to teaching and interpretation, the research contributes to the transmission and revitalisation of these musical practices. The findings are disseminated through concerts, workshops, and educational materials, fostering cross-cultural engagement and contemporary artistic applications. This research is conducted as a twin PhD, with each dissertation focusing on different aspects of these traditions. One dissertation examines the repertoire and performance practices of the Ionian Islands and Greek-speaking communities of Asia Minor, particularly how the mandolin was used in urban musical life before the Asia Minor Disaster of 1922 and how its traditions continued among musicians who immigrated to Greece. The other dissertation investigates the mandolin\u2019s presence in Athens and Crete, exploring its historical role in Athenian Mandolinates and its integration into living musical traditions in Crete. By integrating historical analysis, performance studies, and artistic research, this study enhances the understanding of how these traditions developed, how they continue to evolve, and how they can be communicated to new audiences within and beyond Greece
Vijftig jaar migratie, veertig jaar muziek : een reconstructie van de geschiedenis van de Turkse muziek in Gent
No full textDuring the past fifty years several migrant groups have enriched the sociocultural life in Ghent. The Turkish community developed into a substantial group, which forms nowadays approximately one tenth of the town’s population. It developed quite quickly an active musical life. It started with a family of professional musicians from Turkey that was invited to meet the musical needs in Ghent. Already in the 70s collaborations took place between Turkish musicians and music teachers and Flemish organizations and institutions. During the 80s the musical life of the Ghent Turks strongly anchored in the general cultural life in town, which has laid the seeds for sustainable projects. While the Ghent Turkish musical scene became more diversified and reached a wider audience during the 90s, also the support of official channels increased. Smaller Turkish organizations could apply for financial grants, and the city itself established an intercultural centre. The input of Turkish professionals and the personal drive of engaged Turkish and Flemish individuals were important factors over the years. This article offers a chronology of those evolutions and places them in a broader international context
Cross-Cultural Performance of Iranian Contemporary Music: \u3ci\u3eHommage à Abolhasan, Saba\u3c/i\u3e and \u3ci\u3eMasnavi\u3c/i\u3e
No full textA unique feature of many contemporary Iranian artistic and musical expressions is their firm grounding in indigenous cultural traditions. Composers often reveal a strong involvement with Iran’s diverse traditions, in relation to a clear awareness of the country’s cultural role in the global cultural and political context. This can be witnessed in titles of works, poems chosen as lyrics or inspiration, and the music itself. Non-Iranian musicians performing new music which makes use of indigenous Iranian elements possibly face challenges or problems. Two works performed by Ensemble HaftCraft on March 19, 2017 in Brussels present relevant issues and results: Hommage à Abolhasan Saba by Idin Samimi-Mofakham (2012) and Masnavi by Ali Radman (2011; 2017). The first piece, for violin and cello, has been performed (in an identical version) by Iranian, Central-Asian, European, and American duos. The second piece, originally for orchestra, singers, and Iranian instruments (and as such performed in Tehran and Shiraz), was played in Antwerp and Brussels in a new version for string quartet, bassoon, and solo voice. This paper identifies and discusses problems regarding the exact performance of microtonal intervals and other idiomatic details, and reveals aspects of the process and results of the negotiation between the Iranian composition and conception of the second piece and its European performers and creation. General strategies for composers and performers to address cultural differences and to enhance intercultural understanding are outlined
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