Traditional research methods often struggle to capture embodied, affective, and relational layers of experience emerging during crises such as war. Arts-based research and artistic research offer practice-led epistemologies aligned with posthumanist praxis. This article examines how artistic research can document and transform collective affective states in crisis, using the author’s composition Wartime Reflections II. Resonances as a case study. A practice-led inquiry integrates the score, composer’s notes, and documentary elements (voice messages, textual fragments). The analysis employs “musical lenses” (form, rhythm, dynamics, timbre, polyphony/harmony) and draws on theories of collective affect (Durkheim), anticipatory grief (Rando), resilience (Masten, Ungar), learned helplessness (Seligman), despair (Freud, Kierkegaard), communitas (Turner), and moral elevation (Haidt). The resulting five-part model—Premonition, Resilience, Exhaustion, Despair, Uplift—shows how music functions not only as representation but as method for structuring and sharing crisis experience.

As a universal music form in the world, shamanic music not only retains its religious (divine) nature in the historical construction but also shows different national characteristics with the embedding of specific cultural scene patterns. Citing the perspective of ethnomusicology, the source of religious consciousness of the current shamanic music object form is explained with “music in culture”, and the dynamic construction of shamanic religious elements is mapped with “culture in music”. Based on the geographical proximity and historical and cultural border exchanges between the two countries, its overall music form maintains the “holistic beauty” of religious attributes, takes “drum” as the core instrument, and the music rhythm and melody serve the expression of the lyric’s language signifier and signified symbol. Based on cultural similarities, the specific shamanic music forms of South Korea and China are different from the Western vertical harmony theory. Both pursue linear expression and form their own unique national modal melody characteristics. Korean shamanic music mainly uses rhythmic forms such as “mixed beats”, “changing beats” and “big beats composed of small beats”, while Chinese shamanic music maintains the early 2/4 single beat form that reflects the sounds of nature. As a subset of shamanic culture, shamanic music has derived differentiated expressions of religious ontology and musical object in the dynamic construction of the overall cultural logic of the two countries.

Astor Piazzolla’s chamber cycle “History of Tango” for flute and guitar is examined in terms of its transformation of Latin American, European, and African genre traditions of tango, milonga, samba, habanera, lundu, and maxixe. The aim of this article is to reveal the genre characteristics and dynamics of style changes in 20th-century tango in Astor Piazzolla’s author’s projections using the selected cycle as an example. The composer’s interpretations of the genre allowed the listener to discover the history of tango, enriching traditional elements with baroque idioms and techniques of passacaglia descending chromatic bass, polyphony of contrapuntal accompaniments, and a wealth of melodic ornamentation. Along with this, the composer imbued the fabric of his tangos with jazz improvisation techniques, block chord sequencing, and a language of polystrophic, polymodal structures based on symmetrical scale constructions that were radical for its time. Modifications to the language of the genre do not affect the key attributes of tango, which go back to the dance roots of African-American ritual practices, implying that tango is recognizable to the listener and requires a high level of skill from guitar performers.

The current paper continues the investigation begun in the previous study, which focused on vocal technique and style in 17th century treatises. The final decades of the 17th century witnessed the emergence of an aesthetic and stylistic dispute between the French and Italian traditions of music composition and singing. This rivalry extended into the 18th century, alongside the broader stylistic transformations of the period: the transition from the late Baroque style to the Classical aesthetic, passing through the elegance of the Galant style, and ultimately culminating in the pre-Romantic sensibilities of the late 18th century. This study examines the stylistic rivalry between the French and Italian traditions from the perspective of the period’s vocal practices. While the Italian singing school continued to be regarded as exemplary and worthy of imitation, 18th century debates also centered on linguistic questions: which language, Italian or French, is better suited to singing? The divergence was further intensified by the controversies surrounding opera buffa, particularly Les Querelles des Bouffons, as well as the rivalry between proponents of Gluck’s reform operas and those aligned with Piccini’s operatic approach. The Italian perspective on vocal practices is primarily reflected in the writings of Tosi and Mancini, whereas other sources — such as Quantz or Burney — offer insights from non-French and non-Italian viewpoints. As in the previous study, the authors emphasize that the historical sources cited represent only a portion of the available material, the selection having been guided by the relevance of each source to questions of vocal production.

This article examines Morton Feldman’s use of graphic notation, focusing on the grid as both a compositional device and a visual framework. Feldman’s innovative approach reflects his search for a musical language that transcended conventional notation and emphasized sound as an autonomous phenomenon. The evolution of his grids, from early box structures to later flexible forms, illustrates his adaptability and his concern with balancing clarity and openness. By analyzing selected scores, including Intersection 2, and The King of Denmark, the study demonstrates how Feldman’s graphic methods shaped the relationship between composer, performer, and audience.

This article highlights the significance of the harpsichord and fortepiano in Beethovens early sonatas (in particular Op. 2), composed during a period of transition between the two instruments. The fortepianos lighter mechanism and broader dynamic range enabled Beethoven to explore expressive contrasts and articulations not possible on the harpsichord. However, the harpsichords Baroque heritage remains evident in his harmonic language and ornamentation. Features such as trills, mordents, and clear vocal lines reference the harpsichord tradition, even as they are reinterpreted through the fortepianos capabilities. This duality gives the early sonatas a hybrid identity, bridging Baroque idioms and the emerging Classical style. These works serve as a link between two musical eras, with both instruments marking a language in transformation.

As the title suggests, this article focuses on the violoncello da spalla, an instrument that fell into obscurity over the course of centuries and, since its re-emergence in the late 1990s, has been surrounded by considerable mystery. I first encountered references to this instrument in the late 2000s, through a Russian-born baroque violinist and instrument maker residing in the Netherlands. Already at that time, the instrument captured my attention due to its distinctive aesthetic qualities and unique sound. One might consider it remarkable: essentially a cello executed with violin technique—truly ingenious. In the present article, I aim to collect and synthesize the available information on this instrument. Drawing upon historical sources and illustrations, I will examine the various dimensions of period violoncelli da spalla, discuss aspects of its proper playing posture and stringing, and survey the repertoire composed specifically for it.

The article explores the interdependence of the arts, focusing on the fusion of poetry and music within the art of the Lied. It outlines the evolutionary development of the Lied genre and traces its historical lineage from the Baroque period (Haendel) through Classicism (Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven) to the “Golden Age” of the nineteenth century (Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Wolf, Mahler, R. Strauss). The study also presents interpretative perspectives on the genre, emphasizing the importance of the text and the expressive power of the word, the role of imagination, the primacy of emotion over empty perfectionism, and the centrality of the text and the singer–pianist partnership. The central section focuses on Mihai Eminescu as a cultural and artistic landmark. It synthesizes key biographical and intellectual-formative elements (Ipotești, Cernăuți, Blaj, Vienna, Berlin; Aron Pumnul; Junimea and Titu Maiorescu), the main themes and symbols of his poetry (according to M. Cimpoi), his relationship with Veronica Micle, and the intrinsic musicality of his verse. The article describes how the musicality of Eminescu’s versification shapes the composition of Lieder based on his poems, and it presents critical perspectives that affirm Eminescu’s enduring presence as a source of inspiration and a “canonical value” that fosters “the awareness of the unity of the Romanian cultural space.” The Lied is thereby portrayed as a space of synthesis between music and the word.

Cinq danses exotiques by Jean Françaix is a work of reference for the chamber music repertoire, underlining the value of the dialogue between saxophone and piano. The research aims to provide an in-depth analysis of this suite, with a special focus on piano accompaniment. Taking as a starting point the exploration of the French saxophone interpretation style and the detailed analysis of every dance (structure, melody, rhythm), the study enlarges the perspective by investigating the role of the piano. The piano transcends the main accompaniment function, becoming an equal partner in the musical dialogue. The technical and interpretative particularities of the piano sheet are analyzed through specific musical examples, to underline how the piano contributes to the atmosphere and the rendition of the melodic texture. Providing a balanced perspective on both the instruments, the research reveals the complexity and refinement of the composition Cinq danses exotiques, adding a new layer of meaning to the understanding of this French chamber music.