Using a folk idiom in art music is a problematic practice for composers because folk and Art music traditions stem from fundamentally different origins. Art music is part of a literate tradition with recognized authorship, as opposed to the folk tradition, which is part of a communal tradition disseminated anonymously by means of oral communication. Thus, art music composers aspiring to leave a legacy often refrain from utilizing folk idioms in their music for several reasons; to compose cultured music, to create pure and authentic works that are associated with single composer, and to legitimize their philosophies above national and fugal divisions. The binary between folk and art music began much before the Baroque era, yet the use of folk was a significant feature of the Nationalist movement in art music during the 19th century. Composers such as Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (1804-1857), Bedřich Smetana (1824-1884), and Edvard Greig (1843-1907) used folk influences in their compositions in fundamentally new ways; as part of the communal tradition of their heritage, as an organic spring of inspiration, as well as in an effort to create a national style in tribute to their respective homelands. Consequently, musical nationalism had a dramatic effect on the 19th century art music landscape and the conception of folk as an authentic musical idiom.
Folk music, as defined by the International Folk Music Council, is the
“product of a musical tradition that has been evolved through the process of oral transmission. The factors that shape the transition are: (I) continuity which links the present with the past; (ii) variation which springs from the creative impulse of the individual or the group; and (iii) selection by the community...
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... music is more than just themes,” states Satsov, “In order to be national, to express the soul and spirit of a nation, music must partake of the very roots of the life of a people.” Folk music is essentially cultural property, whereas art music is intellectual property of a single person. When a composer removes national folk from the natural discourse in a culture in an attempt to isolate that flavor in a timeless work of genius, he fails to capture the true spirit of such a dynamic, communal idiom. Ultimately, such attempts are not “creative”, but “photographic.”
Works Cited
Gelbart, Matthew. The Invention of "Folk Music" and "Art Music". Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2007.
The New Russian School: V. V. Stasov. Izbrannïye sochineniya. Moscow: Iskusstvo, 1952. Trans R. T.
Bjarne Kortsen (ed.). Grieg the Writer I. Bergen: B. Kortsen, 1972
The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. Stanley Sadie, 20 vols. (London: Macmillan, 1980)9: 708-709
Bellman, Jonathan. The Style Hongrois in the Music of Western Europe. Boston: Northeastern University Press, 1993.
Over the course of history, music has developed from a personal, academic pursuit to an extension of a global marketplace and an attribute of this global community. In order to better address this conversation and the surrounding idea, Feld utilizes the platform he has developed to pose the argument that music has long been cultivated as a means of communication and interaction. This relationship is developed and analyzed as a case study in this article, which happens to be in discussing a traditional lullaby first developed in the Solomon Islands, which was in turn recorded by a European pop group that sold millions of copies of a rendition of the song. Furthermore, the article goes to show the trend of music to be redistributed and developed in the sense that it is later reused by a popular jazz musician in Europe. Feld then begs the question about the nature of the redistribution of music and whether this facilitates a hybridization of music or an alienation and artistic degradation of the original work for the indigenous artists.
Schwartz, Boris. Music and Musical Life in Soviet Russia, 1917-1981. 2nd edition. Indiana University Press, 1983.
Antonin Dvorak was one of the leading composers of the late Romantic period and one of many composers that utilized portions of music from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds in his compositions. The idea of Music Nationalism can be found in many of his works, especially in his Symphony no. 9 in E minor “from the New World”, which incorporates ideas from the American culture.
TitleAuthor/ EditorPublisherDate James Galways’ Music in TimeWilliam MannMichael Beazley Publishers1982 The Concise Oxford History of MusicGerald AbrahamOxford University Press1979 Music in Western CivilizationPaul Henry LangW. W. Norton and Company1941 The Ultimate Encyclopaedia of Classical MusicRobert AinsleyCarlton Books Limited1995 The Cambridge Music GuideStanley SadieCambridge University Press1985 School text: Western European Orchestral MusicMary AllenHamilton Girls’ High School1999 History of MusicRoy BennettCambridge University Press1982 Classical Music for DummiesDavid PogueIDG Books Worldwide,Inc1997
“How Musical is Man?” was published in 1974. This book was written by John Blacking, a musician turned social anthropologist. His goal in writing this ethnography, and several other papers during this same time period, was to compare the experience of music-making that takes place within different cultures and societies throughout the world. In this book, he discusses and describes the musicology of the Venda people in South Africa. Though he does go to Africa to research and learn about the Venda people and their music, he specifically states that his book is “not a scholarly study of human musicality” (ix), but rather it is a summary (written from his point of view), which is both expressive and entertaining, of several different issues and ideas that he has seemingly been contemplating for some time.
"Music is a common experience and a large part of societies. In fact, anthropologists note that all human communities at all times and in all places, have engaged in musical behaviours. Music as a mode of human activity is a cultural phenomenon constituting a fundamental social entity as humans create music and create their relationship to music. As cultural phenomeno...
Peasant music must neither be confused with popular art music, which is the music of town (also could be named as flourishing popular town art music or light popular style). Popular art music is the wide category for all the artistic product of the current generations of industrialized culture following the fashion of the day with the tremendous influences of Western European music and any surrounding styles. Obviously, Gypsy ...
The term romantic first appeared at sometime during the latter half of the 18th Century, meaning in quite literal English, "romance-like", usually referring to the character of mythical medieval romances. The first significant jump was in literature, where writing became far more reliant on imagination and the freedom of thought and expression, in around 1750. Subsequent movements then began to follow in Music and Art, where the same kind of imagination and expression began to appear. In this essay I shall be discussing the effect that this movement had on music, the way it developed, and the impact that it had on the future development of western music.
Raeburn, Michael & Kendall, Alan. Heritage of Music Vol II. New York. Oxford University Press: 1990
Some may say music is just music; a song is just a song. However, music plays an enormous role in our psychology, because a single song has the ability to bring about many kinds of thoughts and emotions in the listener. Music is subtly one of the main factors in which people identify with certain groups and establish their belonging in society. It shapes people’s perspectives on how the world functions and the roles they play within it. Music can function the same way in a culture; it can reflect many of the culture’s values and ideologies. Music can have many effects on culture and the people’s idea of who they think they are within that culture. Music can serve in a way that promotes cultural identity and pride, yet it could also play a role in the separation of social and economical identities in within cultures.
Riasanovsky, Nicholas V., and Mark D. Steinberg. A History of Russia. 7th ed. Oxford: Oxford, 2005. Print.
During the course of this semester, the several musical styles that have been discussed and analyzed have displayed various similarities and differences. These differences in certain musical elements have accounted for the distinctiveness and uniqueness of each style of music. The culture behind these countries’ music adds even more to their individualism. Cultural aspects such as religion play a huge role in the music of each country as well. Styles of music in Africa might be more upbeat than certain styles in India, for example. Some cultures use music in religion, while others may not. Aspects such as dance are important factors in all three types of music. Despite the differences and similarities, however, without music, these cultures would perhaps not be as fascinating and unique as they are now.
Music has played a role in society since the dawn of man. Said to be the beginning of communication in early civilization, music and dance have influenced how we think, act and treat members of our own society. Song and dance is used in rites of passage ceremonies such as births, weddings and funerals throughout the world. Jamaican and Yoruba cultures have made many contributions to our society. The uses of this music as a vehicle for political issues, values, and beliefs have been used by many musicians from different cultures. I intend to discuss the Contribution of these two contemporary cultures music and their effect on society.