Issue No. 46
Composer Speaks
Jelena Novak, Ksenija Stevanović – THE VELICON: MAGNETIC ATTRACTION OF MUSIC AND SERENDIPITY. An interview with Jasna Veličković
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Core Issue – Voice of Women
Žarko Cvejić – FEMININE CHARMS AND HONORARY MASCULINIZATION/DE-FEMINIZATION: GENDER AND THE CRITICAL RECEPTIONOF THE VIRTUOSE, 1815–1848
Abstract: This article discusses the work of 19th-century gender norms in the reception
of contemporary piano virtuose, led by Clara Wieck Schumann and Marie Moke Pleyel.
The discussion reveals telling discrepancies between the reception of the virtuose and
their male colleagues, such as Liszt, who were mostly celebrated in hyper-masculine
terms, as “heroes”, “gods”, and the like, while the virtuose were praised mainly on account
of their visual appearance rather than virtuosic prowess, rejecting any comparison on an
equal footing with the virtuosi. Finally, in a number of reviews, Wieck and Moke were
explicitly proclaimed “honorary males” on account of their skills. This shows 19th-century
gender norms at work, reserving excellence in any intellectual task to men, even when
displayed by women.
Keywords: virtuosity, virtuose, gender, 19th century.
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Mina Božanić – SEEN THROUGH HIS EYES: THE REPRESENTATION OF FEMALE CHARACTERS IN BÉLA BARTÓK’S STAGE WORKS
Abstract: The question of gender representation in Béla Bartók’s (1881–1945) stage
works is discussed through the prism of cultural studies, with reference to the intellectual,
social and political atmosphere in which the composer shaped his ideas. In this sense, it
is provocative to question how the stereotyped images of women influenced/merged with
Bartók’s personal view on women, or is it, maybe, possible that one intimate conception
of female characters, reflected the composer’s specific relationship toward women? Thе
treatment of the female character will be shown through the analysis of the plot and key
scenes in Bartók’s stage work.
Keywords: modernism, Judith, The Girl, The Princess, female character, Bartók.
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Smiljka Jovanović – VOICE AS A MASQUERADE: AUDIBLE GENDER PERFORMANCE IN SEVERAL REPRESENTATIVE THEORETICAL DISCOURSES ON FEMALE IDENTITY
Abstract: Tracing different approaches to the notion of gender masquerade, this study
promotes the idea that a female subjectivity can be constituted, represented and socially
situated by the means of audible masquerade. Given that the masquerade is understood
here as an ongoing, recurrent, strategic and creative audible performance, the female
voice, either in its real form (singing in opera, for instance) or in its metaphorical sense
(écriture fémine), is taken as a gender mask par excellence. The study aims to shed some
light on social and theoretical contextualization of female voice and its oppositions to the
paradigm of male word / male voice.
Keywords: voice, female voice, masquerade, audible masquerade, voice as a masquerade.
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Mariela Cvetić – DAS UNHEIMLICHE AND WOMEN: THE CASE OF THE TALES OF HOFFMANN
Abstract: This paper analyses Freud’s concept of Das Unheimliche used to describe a
strange proximity between the known and the unknown, whether as something acquainted
represents itself with an extraneous shape or as something extraneous discovers an element of intimacy in itself. Freud inaugurated this concept in the text Das Unheimliche in
1919 referring to cases in which the subject in relation to objects or events has feelings
that range from usual closeness to the point of utter automated perception, when an object
or event appears strange. The automatism of repetition is only one of manifestations of Das Unheimliche.
Freud wrote this text responding to the text by Ernest Jentsch’s “On the Psychology of Des Unheimlichen” (“Uber die Psychologie des Unheimlichen”) from 1906 arguing on the
importance and significance of the doll Olympia in Hoffmann’s story “The Sandman”.
The position of Olympia – whether she was seen as alive or as a machine – remained the
main issue in late discussions of various authors. Therefore, Das Unheimliche and women
are very closely related, not only because the concept is based on the female character of
Olympia from the story, but also because Freud himself emphasized the Das Unheimliche character of the female body.
The paper discusses the relation between Das Unheimliche and women, and reconsiders
the relation between Das Unheimliche aspects of female characters in The Tales of Hoffmann. Short stories “The Sandman”, “Councillor Krespel” and “A New Year’s Eve Adventure” were also chosen by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré for the opera “Tales of
Hoffmann” by Jacques Offenbach, in which the leading roles of Stela, Olympia, Antonia
and Giulietta are in fact one woman who takes a variety of forms.
Keywords: Das Unheimliche, women, mechanism, E.T.A. Hoffmann, Olympia.
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Julijana Zhabeva Papazova – WOMEN’S VOICES IN ALTERNATIVE MUSIC – LISA GERRARD AND ELIZABETH FRASER
Abstract:
This paper deals with the analysis of Lisa Gerrard’s and Elizabeth Fraser’s
vocal styles that promoted a new way of singing on the alternative music scene. Instead
of the traditional usage of lyrics in the English language as their mother tongue, they use
so called ‘glossolalia’, meaning wordless, or substituting language with a melodic, exploratory rapture by their vocal range alone in a couple of octaves. The main points of
analysis are the relationships between the vocal interpretation and instruments, music
form, main melodic themes, rhythm, accomplished with iconography in the relationship
between vocal interpretations and stage performances.
Keywords: alternative music, Lisa Gerrard, Elizabeth Fraser, vocal analysis, glossolalia.
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Views
Ira Prodanov Krajišnik – MUSIC FESTIVITIES OF NOVI SAD (NOMUS) IN 2015 AND SOCIETY OF THE SPECTACLE
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Kalliopi Stiga – FERNANDO-LOPES GRAÇA AND MIKIS THEODORAKIS: MUSIC, POETRY AND IDEOLOGY IN THE 20TH CENTURY
Abstract: Considering that “music of resistance” is the expression of the dialectic relation
between society and history as well as the reflection of the ideological and intellectual
position of the creator-interpreter in the face of social and historical reality, the aim of this
paper is: a) to present the social-political context which inspired Fernando Lopes-Graça
and Mikis Theodorakis, to be creative, b) to highlight how their ideology is expressed in
their musical and literary works and c) to reveal the ‘epic character’ of their music through
a music-poetical analysis of the Canções Heróicas of F.L. Graça and of the Τραγούδια του Αγώνα of M. Theodorakis.
Keywords: Fernando-Lopes Graça, Mikis Theodorakis, 20th Century, music and politics.
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Ana Szilágyi – A THEORY OF PIANO INTERPRETATION BASED ON CYBERNETICS
Abstract: Ana Pitiş and Ioana Minei discovered in the 70–80s, a complex theory of piano interpretation that gives another view in the art of piano playing. The two authors systematically
research the original musical information coming from the composer. This information
passes through more codes until it is perceived by the public: through the musical text (the
score), through the musical images of the interpreter and through technical means. The
merit of this theory lies in the fact that the authors point out the audio-mental operations
that take place in the brain of the interpreter reading the score before playing. This interior
hearing is based on musically characteristic operations, on sound ordering, respecting
musical laws. The advantage of these operations is that the piano sound is no longer perceived as mechanical, but espressive, with meaning. In the opinion of the authors, the
feedback of the cybernetics causes the sound perception of the public: the sound will be
heard with qualities such as timbre, dynamics and expression.
Keywords: information, code, feedback, audio-mental operations, interior hearing
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Research and Tradition
Selena Rakočević – DANCING IN THE DANUBE GORGE: GEOGRAPHY, DANCE, AND INTERETHNIC PERSPECTIVES
Abstract: This paper will look at dance practices of Romanian and Serbian villagers
along the Danube Gorge which historically functioned as a natural and political boundary.
Opportunities for dancing in all villages in the Gorge are still very common and frequented especially during the summer time. Based on my field reseach, carried out since
2011, the paper examines the contemporary dance practice of this region. My methodological orientation will be based on the ethnochoreological investigation of diverse repertoires, but also diverse dance structures as “predictable” dance texts designated during
previous times as Romanian or Serbian, which are interpolated by the villagers. The notion of geographical place considered in the sense of a distinct “culture area”, which, according to Bruno Nettl is grounded in the history of ethnomusicology, but also
ethnochoreology, will be challenged by applying Martin Stokes’ concept of (geographical)
place as a social construction which involves notions of difference and social boundary.
The following question will be raised: In what way does contemporary village dancing in
the Danube Gorge correspond to the idea of establishing Romanian society as a part of the
New Europe? In what way does the current (re)positioning of this historically and geographically distinct territory influence its contemporary dance practice? How is the concept of the ethnic dance (Romanian and Serbian) recognized both by insiders (villagers)
and outsiders (the State institutions and scholars) and does this correspond to the new
social and political context of contemporary Romanian society?
Keywords: the Danube Gorge, contemporary dance practice, ethnicity
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Jeremy Logan – SYNESTHESIA AND FEMINISM: A CASE STUDY ON AMY BEACH (1867–1944)
Abstract: As one of the most notable American woman composers of the early 20th Century, Amy Beach had to struggle with her social role as a woman born into the middle class
of New England, USA. Before marrying into the upper class, she was already established
as a concert pianist. Her husband pressured her not to perform in public, which affected
her emotionally and compositionally. This paper will re-evaluate the work of Amy Beach
within the context of her strugg/les as a woman composer and more specifically focus on
her synesthesia and how it influenced her choice of keys and modes within her music. The
colors of her keys will be compared to affects according to color psychology, as well as
affects of key signatures.
Keywords: Amy Beach, American music, synesthesia, feminism, gender studies, colorkey associations, music perception, compositional process
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Romana A. Ribić – CONTEMPORARY MUSIC OF ICELAND IN THE POST-ROMANTIC PERIOD: JÓRUNN VIĐAR (JÓRUNN VÍÐAR, REYKJAVÍK, ICELAND, 1918–)
Abstract: Тhis paper presents a brief overview of the development of Icelandic music
through historical and artistic circumstances. We shall also point to the specific social attitude towards the female population and we shall deal with the few Icelandic women
composers. Among them Jórunn Víđar particularly stands out, as a pianist, accompanist
and music teacher. For over two decades, she was the only woman composer to be a
member of the Society of Icelandic Composers. She wrote the music for the first Icelandic
ballet suite and the first Icelandic film ever, arranging the old narrative songs called the ‘thulur’ as a pioneer. Her oeuvre includes a piano concerto, music for theater and film,
chamber and choral music and solo songs. She was awarded the Order of the Falcon for
accomplishments in music by the president of Iceland.
Keywords: Iceland, history, culture, music, women composers, Jórunn Víđar
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Analysis
R. Armstrong, Lauren Redhead – /’(H)WETH: VOICE – BREATH – BODY – FORM/S
Abstract: /’(h)weTH is a collaborative work of visual and sound art produced by R. Armstrong (USA) and Lauren Redhead (UK). The work combines an installation, two video
projections, four channel sound, and an optional solo performance part, in order to create
an experience that is simultaneously aural and visual, in all of its elements. This article
sets out to further explore the main themes of the work, by means of a dialogue between
the voices of the two artists. In doing so, it also facilitates a discussion of how /’(h)weTH might contribute to an understanding of the materiality of sound art, and the boundaries
between visual art, sound art, and music.
Keywords: voice, breath, body, embodiment, sound art
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New Works
Adriana Sabo – WOMAN AND/OR WATER: WHO IS SVETLANA SAVIĆ’S TRAPPED?
Abstract: Svetlana Savić was given the “Mokranjac” award for her composition titled Trapped (2014), written for female choir and electronics. Originally composed for a multimedia project realized by the “Collegium Musicum” choir titled Water, Savić’s piece
was inspired by water trapped inside pipes, a subject that enabled her to realize the musical flow using a variety of murmurs and noises, as well as to expand upon the numerous
possibilities offered by the contrast between a female voice and electronically produced
sounds. The musical language of Trapped can thus be understood as the result of research
into the possibilities offered by the sonic traits of the musical material, the relationship
between consonant and dissonant intervals – mostly seconds and thirds – and as a very
compact, yet incredibly expressive musical manifestation of feelings of captivity and fear
of drowning.
Keywords: Trapped, Svetlana Savić, “Mokranjac” award, water, expression
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Zorica Premate – MEDIAL 623 BY VLADIMIR TOŠIĆ
Abstract: The subject of the article is Medial 623, a piece by Vladimir Tošić, and examines the composer’s “trademark” strict minimalist style in light of the “postmodernist
turn”.
Keywords: minimalism, reductionism, abstraction, repetitiveness, postmodernism, simulation, play, phantasm
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Reviews
Sonja Cvetković – Stevan Stojanović Mokranjac (1856–1914) – Inostrane koncertne turneje sa Beogradskim pevačkim društvom, Biljana Milanović (urednik). Stevan Stojanović Mokranjac (1856–1914) – The Belgrade Choral Society Foreign Concert Tours, Institute of Musicology of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts Serbian Musicological Society Belgrade, 2014
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Vesna Karin – ДВД Селене Ракочевић Tрадиционални плесови Срба у Банату. Антологија. Етнокореолошки теренски видео-снимци. Selena Rakočević’s DVD: Traditional Dances of the Banat Serbs. Antology. Ethnochoreological Field Footage. Belgrade: Center for
the Research and Preservation of
Traditional Dances of Serbia
(CIOTIS), 2014
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Ana Kotevska – François Nicolas: Le monde – Musique (I – L’œuvre musicale et son écoute), Edition Aedam Musicae, Paris, 2014, 259 pp.
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Ira Prodanov Krajišnik – Music as the “Supra-Narrative Content” of Film Marija Ćirić: Vidljivi prostori muzike. Superlibretto – Govor muzike u filmu [Visible Areas Of Music: Super-Libretto – The Speech of Music In Film], Filum, Kragujevac, 2015, 208.
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Radoš Mitrović – Darko Karajić (Baroque Lute,
Theorbo, Baroque Guitar, Archlute): Journey: Music of the XVII and XVIII Centuries Publisher: Edition Lilac, 2015
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Defended Theses
Zoran Božanić – Teorija složenog kontrapunkta na primeru muzičke prakse strogog stila. Theory of Complex Counterpoint on the Example of Strict Style Musical Practice
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Iva Nenić – Дерегулација канона: Идентитети, праксе и идеологије женског свирања на традиционалним инструментима у Србији. Deregulating the Canon: Identities, Practices, and Ideologies of Women’s Playing of Traditional Instruments in Serbia
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