Musicological Explorations, Vol. 05 (2004)
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This issue was first published in 2004 and later released digitally in 2009. The full issue includes the Index to Back Issues and information about Submissions & Subscriptions.
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Item Biographies(Musicological Explorations, 2004) Richter, Annett; Star, Allison; Sheridan, DanielItem Reinterpreting the farewell story of Mahler's Ninth symphony: dialectical synthesis in the modern age(Musicological Explorations, 2004) Sheridan, DanielMahler's Ninth Symphony has most commonly been interpreted as a “farewell story”; specifically Mahler’s farewell to the world and resignation to death. How would this story remain viable to a modern audience, long after Mahler's death? How would a modern audience receive this work? Modern society has increasingly commodified music, particularly the tonal repertoire, exploiting the profitability of music. This challenges the 19th century aesthetic of music as an autonomous art. In Mahler's Ninth Symphony there are numerous binary oppositions, such as simple/complex and sublime/vulgar. I read these oppositions as a dialectic between tonal music as autonomous “art for art's sake” and as a commodity for public consumption. This dialectic is presented in each movement of the symphony, with an attempt at synthesis between autonomous ('high') music and commodified ('low') music. Each attempt fails, with one side of the dialectic overtaking the other. The symphony ends in sombre fashion; dialectical synthesis has shown to be impossible and tonal music acknowledges its lack of autonomy. Thus, the “farewell story” of Mahler's Ninth Symphony may be read by modern culture as a farewell to the notion of tonal music as an autonomous art: tonality be it art or popular music, has accepted its commodity character. This problematizes traditional distinctions between “high” and “low” culture. Therefore, Mahler’s Ninth Symphony articulates a farewell that need not be mourned.Item Crosscurrents of performance practice in nineteenth-century editions of Beethoven's Piano sonata in E major, Opus 109(Musicological Explorations, 2004) Star, AllisonThis article examines specific 19th century editions of Beethoven's piano sonata Opus 109 as prepared by two types of musicians: the piano virtuoso/pedagogue and the theorist/analyst. Critical analyses of these two editorial types draw on specific editions from both schools by Franz Liszt (Wolfenbüttel, 1857-61), Hans von Bülow (Stuttgart, 1872), Carl Reinecke (Leipzig, 1886) and Gustav Damm (Leipzig, 1890) in order to illustrate the marked divide in the reception of Beethoven's innovative ideas. These editions represent two often-conflicting interpretations of Werktreue, and thus become repositories for crosscurrents of 19th century performance practice. Moreover, these interpretative traditions reflect a larger polarity in 19th century Beethoven reception: his dual identity as a classical composer esteemed within the newly forming canon, and as an innovator with a view to the future of the piano. Ultimately, a thorough study of Beethoven's autograph, errata, letters, and sketches reveals that there is no one “ideal” edition that matches the Beethoven's intended vision.Item George Caleb Bingham’s river paintings revisited: Music and dance in The Jolly Floatboatmen(Musicological Explorations, 2004) Richter, AnnettAt first sight, the painting The Jolly Flatboatmen appears to depict life on the river in the American West. Upon closer reading, Bingham (1811-79) presents a record of the history of a region here in which music-making was an activity tightly woven into the concept of frontier life – a recurring subject matter which the artist observed frequently in reality. The 1846 version shows eight boat men on a flat raft, two of which are playing music and the central figure engaged in a dance. Art historians have placed this work in historical and political contexts. While it has been valuable to interpret it as Bingham’s personal expression of nationalism in the age of westward expansion, the documenting of nineteenth-century American folklore in The Jolly Flatboatmen deserves more attention from a musicological point of view. As the only paintings showing music and dance, the three versions of The Jolly Flatboatmen (1846, 1857, 1877/78) stand out in the artist’s overall output. By treating this theme repeatedly, Bingham coveys that these events were not just a pastime but that they defined musical folklore in the West. This article examines how Bingham’s Jolly Flatboatmen creates an authentic visual account of music-making in America’s frontier. Drawing upon iconographical analysis, this study explores what kind of music and dance may have been represented here and casts light on the socio-cultural context for a musical practice that contributed to the shaping of musical traditions in nineteenth-century America.Item Front matter(Musicological Explorations, 2004)Item From the editors(Musicological Explorations, 2004) Anaka, Nicole Elaine; Baron-Woods, Kristina; Dalby, Susan E.; Fraser, Robert John; Pynes, Nicholas K.; Robinson, Dylan; Sheppard, RebekahItem Musicological Explorations, Volume 5 (2004)(Musicological Explorations, 2004)