The beginnings of teaching Western bel canto vocal style in China date back to the 1930s. Over the course of nearly a century, bel canto has become deeply entrenched in the musical culture of the country. Bel canto singing is not the dominant trend in Chinese vocal education, however, as the Chinese take painstaking care to cultivate traditional singing forms, which are marked by the extraordinary diversity and character of the country’s numerous ethnic groups. In spite of the challenges involved in adopting and understanding Western musical styles, bel canto instruction has seen dynamic development in China, indicating a fascination with both its techniques and aesthetics. An ever-increasing number of highly trained Chinese singers appear on the stages all over the world. It is common for these artists to refine their skills by studying in Europe and the United States, and the most outstanding of them often return to China in order to pass their knowledge and experience on to next generations. The present article attempts to provide a synthetic description of the structure of vocal education in China, which is widely associated with a “Western” singing technique and the operatic repertoire collectively referred to as bel canto. The article outlines the characteristics of education at selected Chinese institutions with regard to aspects such as the methods and curriculum of teaching bel canto singing, the number of instructional hours, the main teaching objectives and the principles for verifying students’ results. In addition, it contains information on the sheet music collections and textbooks used in vocal training, as well as notable singing instructors.

The analysis of the depictions of Saint Catherine of Alexandria is aimed at examining the choir books of the Liturgy of the Hoursand potentially isolating artistic, historical and cultural connections in selected representations –miniatures and marginal decorations. The research was conducted through the lens of the hagiography of Saint Catherine in such a way as to capture scenes depicting crucial moments of her life and, above all, her martyrdom. This approach was meant to serve the primary purpose of the work, i.e. to present initial miniatures in liturgical chant books depicting images and scenes from the life of Saint Catherine and to attempt to typologize them in accordance with the hagiographic narrative. The choice of the subject matter resulted from the approaching 1000th anniversary of the organised cult of Saint Catherine of Alexandria. The text begins with an introduction to the topic, followed by a brief outline of the history of the Saint’s worship in major centres in Europe and the hagiography of the Martyr, as well as a presentation of the depictions of Catherine of Alexandria preserved in the art of the Christian world. The closing chapter, which is of fundamental importance to the topic, constitutes an analysis of a selection of epictions of the Virgin of Sinai. The material collected therein contains lavish artwork –18 miniatures depicting the Saint; these images were subsequently divided into several thematic groups according to hagiographic accounts. Antiphonaries and breviaries, two main types of books comprising the Liturgy of the Hours, were used as the primary sources for the work, as they are where miniatures depicting the Saint or –more often –scenes from her hagiography are most commonly found.

Robert de Visée’s guitar works represent one of the pinnacles of French instrumental music during the reign of Louis XIV, the Sun King. The history of transcribing it for the six-string guitar can be traced back to the 19th century and continues uninterrupted to the present day, with a plethora of subsequent arrangements for the modern guitar. It is impossible to overstate the importance of de Visée’s music in the context of the guitar repertoire as it constitutes an invaluable source of both concert and teaching material. The transcription of de Visée’s guitar works presents a number of challenges, some of which are outlined below. The most significant distinction is the discrepancy in the tuning of Baroque and contemporary instruments, which inevitably introduces interference with the intrinsic fabric of the composition during the transcription process. The remaining issues arise naturally from the initial one and include a number of decisions that the transcription’s author is required to make. These decisions encompass a range of elements, including the transposition of notes, the manner in which voices are conducted, the type of strokes (batteries) employed, and so forth. Matters pertaining to the transcription process also include the accurate interpretation of the symbols utilized in the tablature and a comprehensive understanding of performance practices unique to French Baroque music.

The analysis of the depictions of Saint Catherine of Alexandria is aimed at examining the choir books of the Liturgy of the Hoursand potentially isolating artistic, historical and cultural connections in selected representations –miniatures and marginal decorations. The research was conducted through the lens of the hagiography of Saint Catherine in such a way as to capture scenes depicting crucial moments of her life and, above all, her martyrdom. This approach was meant to serve the primary purpose of the work, i.e. to present initial miniatures in liturgical chant books depicting images and scenes from the life of Saint Catherine and to attempt to typologize them in accordance with the hagiographic narrative. The choice of the subject matter resulted from the approaching 1000th anniversary of the organised cult of Saint Catherine of Alexandria. The text begins with an introduction to the topic, followed by a brief outline of the history of the Saint’s worship in major centres in Europe and the hagiography of the Martyr, as well as a presentation of the depictions of Catherine of Alexandria preserved in the art of the Christian world. The closing chapter, which is of fundamental importance to the topic, constitutes an analysis of a selection of depictions of the Virgin of Sinai. The material collected therein contains lavish artwork –18 miniatures depicting the Saint; these images were subsequently divided into several thematic groups according to hagiographic accounts. Antiphonaries and breviaries, two main types of books comprising the Liturgy of the Hours, were used as the primary sources for the work, as they are where miniatures depicting the Saint or –more often –scenes from her hagiography are most commonly found.

Bibliografia polskich druków muzycznych z udziałem gitary, z lat 1901–1939, autorstwa Wojciecha Gurgula, to przykład mrówczej pracy kwerendalnej i archiwalnej, na której podstawie można m.in. wyobrazić sobie rolę gitary w polskim życiu muzycznym w omawianym okresie. Pomimo pewnych niedociągnięć edytorskich praca ta jest bardzo cennym wkładem w badania nad rolą tego instrumentu w polskiej kulturze muzycznej minionych wieków. Publikacja opatrzona jest indeksami: kompozytorów, autorów opracowań i autorów słów, utworów według obsady; a także indeksem bibliotek. Bardzo cennym elementem opracowania jest ponadto wybór przykładów nutowych. Książka ta przede wszystkim zainteresować może oprócz historyków muzyki również współczesnych nauczycieli gry na gitarze oraz wykonawców klasycznej muzyki gitarowej.

The term ‘idiom of the classical guitar’ is frequently used to intuitively identify the set of characteristics associated with this instrument. It serves as a cognitive shortcut, referencing the particulars of the instrument in general. In this context, intuition frequently leads to the exploration of Iberian roots and Latin American popular music. However, each period has seen new advances in performance technique and perception of the instrument, which have broadened the definition of the idiom. Contemporary compositions demand a continual reassessment of what is perceived as ‘natural’ and therefore suitable for performance on the guitar. This article presents a historical account of the formation of the term guitar idiom, offers a critical analysis of the various interpretations of its meaning, identifies the essential criteria for defining a composition as idiomatic, develops a comprehensive definition of idiomaticity, and addresses the question of whether, in view of the incompatibility of interpretations and the ongoing expansion of the semantic framework of the guitar idiom, its use should be abandoned. In order to achieve this objective, the article presents the perspectives of modern scholars and artists in juxtaposition with an analysis of recent musical compositions that represent significant milestones in the evolution of the guitar’s idiomatic potential.

For decades, the “Warsaw Autumn” International Festival of Contemporary Music served as a window connecting creators from the East and the West. Since its conception, the festival’s mission has been to provide information on current developments in music around the world. The article examines how guitar music has been presented in the context of this premise over the sixty-six editions to date. It compiles all concerts featuring the classical guitar, taking into account their programmes and performers, as well as citing press reports concerning the appearance of the instrument on the Warsaw Autumn stage.

The term ‘idiom of the classical guitar’ is frequently used to intuitively identify the set of characteristics associated with this instrument. It serves as a cognitive shortcut, referencing the particulars of the instrument in general. In this context, intuition frequently leads to the exploration of Iberian roots and Latin American popular music. However, each period has seen new advances in performance technique and perception of the instrument, which have broadened the definition of the idiom. Contemporary compositions demand a continual reassessment of what is perceived as ‘natural’ and therefore suitable for performance on the guitar. This article presents a historical account of the formation of the term guitar idiom, offers a critical analysis of the various interpretations of its meaning, identifies the essential criteria for defining a composition as idiomatic, develops a comprehensive definition of idiomaticity, and addresses the question of whether, in view of the incompatibility of interpretations and the ongoing expansion of the semantic framework of the guitar idiom, its use should be abandoned. In order to achieve this objective, the article presents the perspectives of modern scholars and artists in juxtaposition with an analysis of recent musical compositions that represent significant milestones in the evolution of the guitar’s idiomatic potential.