Concert Programs Research Articles

Emotional Storms, Passion and Melancholy when Symphonic Music is Legitimated as an Emotional Resource

In some contexts, classical music is described as capable of evoking powerful emotional experiences in listeners, while in others it is associated with a restrained response on the part of the audience. Against the backdrop of this observation, the article aims to apply a discourse-analytic approach to investigating how symphonic music is constructed and legitimated as an emotional resource, and how listeners’ reactions are articulated in relation to ideas about the emotional qualities of music. The material comprises texts and a small number of images taken from concert programs of two leading symphony orchestras: the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra (GSO).
 The results demonstrate variation in both the feelings that are highlighted in the concert programs and the conceptions or ideas about musical meaning that are referred to in the descriptions. While some descriptions draw on a formalist artistic ideal, emphasizing the music’s independent esthetic value, others exhibit a romantic understanding of music, emphasizing its metaphysical qualities. Music is furthermore legitimated as an emotional resource by being characterized as a bearer of specific feelings, in other words, in line with a conception of musical meaning as representational. When it comes to audiences’ listening positions, it is shown that two contrasting listening ideals are articulated in the concert descriptions, one introspective and one that involves the manifestation of powerful emotional experiences.
 The variation in listening ideals and conceptual assumptions is found to agree with the individualized understanding of musical meaning that is typical of neo-liberal consumer culture. At the same time, however, because emotional extremes are given space alongside traditional esthetic ideals, historically formed ideals are perpetuated.

Culturally Responsive Programming in the Orchestra Classroom: A Survey of Ensemble Teachers

The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that influence orchestra teachers when selecting repertoire for performance ensembles and to better understand the extent of culturally relevant and responsive programming in elementary and secondary orchestra classrooms across the United States. In March of 2020, the authors undertook a survey regarding concert programming practices of school orchestra teachers who were active members of the American String Teachers Association. Results indicated that the level of difficulty was the most important consideration while availability for easy download was the least important one. Sociocultural considerations were generally rated lower than administrative and pedagogical considerations. Repertoire from the Western European canon was programmed most frequently, followed by folk and fiddle music, and pop and rock music. More than 80% of participants indicated they had never programmed a piece to teach about matters related to gender, sexual identity, or the Black Lives Matter movement, whereas 76.5% had programmed a piece to teach about multicultural awareness. Implications for orchestra teachers, music educator preparation programs, and future research are explored.

The Repertoire of S. T. Richter: Touches to the Creative Portrait

The prominent musician-performer of the 20th century, Russian pianist Svyatoslav Teofi lovich Richter reached the tops of piano mastery thanks to virtuoso technique, expressive intonation, impeccable sense of style, depth of interpretation and extensive repertoire. The choice of works was due to the personal preferences of the pianist, the depth of the content of opuses, and the desire to bring aesthetic pleasure to the public with the beauty of music. The purpose of the work was to identify the principles of Richter’s selection of a concert repertoire based on an analysis of his statements about composers, aesthetic preferences, a list of works, concert programmes and sound recordings. Richter seeks to perform works of deep content, in which important ideas for all mankind are embodied, passionate temperament and exciting emotions are conveyed. A warm response in Richter’s performing arts was found by compositions combining the sincerity of utterance and the simplicity of images in the spirit of the revelations of romantic composers.

Music as an Important Means of Foreign Policy

The article discusses the influence of music on the process of political socialization, analyzes the mechanisms of interaction between the musical and political spheres of society at different historical stages. The relevance of this article lies in the fact that at this historical stage the questions of studying the experience of establishing cooperation between states using the methods of cultural negotiations are most relevant in connection with the events taking place in world politics. The purpose of this study is to analyze musical art as an important element of international political relations, as well as to substantiate the effectiveness of the use of musical art in political negotiations. The article describes the cultural relations of allies during political negotiations at different historical stages using archival scientific materials. The principles of construction are considered, as well as the artistic features of concert programs at the Royal Albert Hall of Arts and Sciences. The methodological basis of the study is the work of cultural communication researchers. The main methods of cognition are theoretical analysis of scientific-journalistic literature, narrative analysis and historical method, comparative and typological method, generalization of theoretical and practical experience of influence of music on political processes in the world. The practical significance of the research on "Music as an important instrument of foreign policy" is that the data obtained in the scientific research can be used by specialists and teachers of higher educational institutions, as well as in the preparation of a methodological educational program in the field of "History" and "Political Science". The results of the ongoing research may be of scientific interest to students, specialists and teachers of history, political science and cultural studies in higher educational institutions and advanced training courses.

AZƏRBAYCANDA KEÇİRİLƏN MUSİQİ FESTİVALLARININ TƏŞKİLİNDƏ MUZEYLƏRİN ROLU

The article discusses the exceptional services tourism provide in promoting culture. The article notes that cultural tourism is among the most developing types of tourism. It has been emphasized that cultural tourism is a type of tourism that involves visiting monuments, museums, theaters, architectural examples, as well as festivals and holidays that reflect the lifestyle and national values of the local population. It has been pointed that music festivals have played a significant role in the promotion of Azerbaijani music. The article mentions events, meetings, and concert programs held at museums within the framework of festivals.In the article, it is emphasized that the organization of music festivals is an important factor for the development of cultural tourism and that it is a cultural event that brings music lovers together.

Local Forms of Festival Space in Drohobych

At the present stage of cultural development, the search for value and semantic guidelines leading to the realization of new forms of cultural life, including music, is underway. As one of such new forms, festivals help embrace new forms, genres, and types of musical art within a common cultural space while simultaneously motivating creative teams and becoming an impetus for new achievements. The relevance of the article is in the active spread and growing importance of music festivals as creative events and an important component of the national art process. The paper reveals various aspects of provincial city festival life during the period of Ukrainian independence. At present, festivals are an integral element of culture, a constantly evolving art phenomenon. They are in demand in various fields of culture and art, and their concert programs attract townspeople and visitors. Festivals contribute to the formation and promotion of city and regional brands, to the transformation of the urban environment, and place focus on various issues, asthey are related to the general cultural situation and the local context of a particular location. As a key element of contemporary cultural life, festivals contribute to the dissemination of creative practices aimed at developing the cultural sphere of the city and raising the level of cultural life in the region. The paper aims to present a “panorama” of festivals, their features, and their significance for the cultural life of Drohobych.

Interluding: Identifying practice methods for classical improvisation on the Violin

How can a classical performing violinist develop a practice method which serves for expanding their active musical vocabulary and applying it in an improvised interlude during a concert? The objective of this research is to explore practice methods which helps one create improvisations inserted in between composed pieces of a concert programme. The main goal is to create a common thread in a program with an otherwise varied repertoire. This research identifies and compares the practice methods that can be used to achieve this goal. The methodology is based on the study of academic and educational sources, autoethnography, experiments in the form of performances, a questionnaire for the audience, interviews with experts and recording of work in the practice room. The improvisation played in between two compositions is called an interlude and the act of playing such an improvisation, interluding. These interludes contain musical material of both the previous and the next piece, thus creating seamless transitions, a bridge between characters and/or a dialogue between the pieces. First, the historical importance of preluding and interluding is discussed, followed by a collection of improvisation exercises based on an existing composition with audio examples. These exercises serve to expand an active musical vocabulary inspired by the chosen pieces. The interludes can be built using different structures with this newly acquired vocabulary. To present and discuss the results, recordings of performances are included. Finally the limits of this format of strictly recycling (thematic) material are discussed, bringing to the surface other ways to use the concept of interluding.

Mykola Lysenko and Yakiv Hulak-Artemovskyi: to History of their Relationship

The purpose of the article is to reveal the peculiarities of communication between Mykola Lysenko-conductor and amateur singer Yakiv Hulak-Artemovskyi. Research methodology. The following methods have been used in the research: exploratory, analysis and generalisation method to reveal the communication of the eminent master with this specific member of the choir, based on the latter’s memories and epistolary. Scientific novelty of the research. The article reveals for the first time certain aspects of Mykola Lysenko's work with the choir and the conductor's collaboration with the amateur singer Yakiv Hulak-Artemovskyi, his faithful assistant, who became the “right hand” of the conductor. Conclusions. Yakiv Hulak-Artemovskyi is a person from Mykola Lysenko's circle, extremely responsible and devoted. Understanding Mykola Lysenko's business, his impracticality in financial affairs, at the same time his great love for his native people and cheering for their future, he agreed to become a voluntary assistant of the artist. The relationship of Mykola Lysenko – an outstanding Ukrainian composer and conductor, with Yakiv Hulak-Artemovskyi – an amateur singer and choir manager must be a model of deep respect, tolerance, and an example of devoted service to the cause of Ukrainian choral art. The creative tandem of these caring personalities contributed to coordinated and successful work of the choir, preparation of concert programmes, organisation of tour trips, and the popularisation of the native song among the Ukrainian population. Mykola Lysenko and Yakiv Hulak-Artemovskyi were Ukrainian patriots, highly spiritual personalities, and hardworking people who defended the right of the people to be treated with dignity within or under the conditions of the colonialist policy of the Russian Empire: Mykola Lysenko as a defining cultural figure, whereas Yakiv Hulak-Artemovskyi was an average, but dedicated representative of Ukrainian citizenship. Both faithfully served their native people and the Ukrainian culture. Yakiv Hulak-Artemovskyi respected Mykola Lysenko as a talented artist, admired him as a personality, as well as, his ability to maintain independent views, even in the most difficult times. In turn, Mykola Lysenko valued Yakiv Hulak-Artemovskyi as a singer and head of the choir, and as a reliable assistant and adviser.
 Key words: Mykola Lysenko, Yakiv Hulak-Artemovskyi, creative collaboration, relationships, choir.

Prelude and fugue in g minor for orgue by J.S. Bach in accordion interpretation

The article is dedicated to the peculiarities of interpreting on the accordion the transcription of a polyphonic creation from universal literature – Prelude and Fugue in G minor, BWV 535, by J. S. Bach, written originally for the organ. The transcription for accordion is one of the main ways to enrich the repertoire for this instrument, and the potential and polyphonic qualities of the accordion are well-known. Thus, accordion transpositions of polyphonic creations from organ originals are used extremely frequently in the teaching and concert programs. The transcription proposed for research was made by the author of this article.

Preparation of The Concert Program as A Determinant of Musicians-Interpreters’ Performance Reliability in Stage Activity

Preparation of The Concert Program as A Determinant of Musicians-Interpreters’ Performance Reliability in Stage Activity

F. Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12: the Summa of Performance Paradigms

The relevance of the study is determined by several factors: 1. Inclusion of F. Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 into the number of the most performed works in the concert programs of pianists around the world; 2. Continuous development of principles of performative interpretation; 3. Emergence of new creative individuals in the art of piano interpretation, relentless changes in the understanding of content and form creation.
 The purpose of the article is to provide summa of performance paradigms of F. Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 based on the analysis of interpretations of prominent virtuosos of the XX and XXI centuries.
 The methodology lies in the interdisciplinary interaction of general and special methods inherent in modern musicology. The historical method is applied to study of F. Liszt’s creative principles of interpretation. The genre-style method is intended to consider genre features of F. Liszt’s Rhapsody No. 12. The interpretative analysis is used to reveal the logic of performance interpretations. Comparative analysis is involved to compare interpretive versions of Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 and motivate the degree of their objectivity, based on the specifics of their correspondence to the composer’s text.
 The results. The article is devoted to the study of the theoretical, historical, and interpretological aspects of the functioning of the summa of performance paradigms of F. Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12. For this purpose, the analytical parameters of piano interpretation, the principles of F. Liszt’s auto-interpretation of his own piano works, and the attitude of the piano genius to the performance of his own works by his contemporaries, are considered. The comparative analysis of interpretation versions of F. Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 performed by outstanding pianists of the XX and XXI centuries, was conducted.
 The scientific novelty of the research consists in introducing into the scientific space of musicology the concept of the summa of performance paradigms, which functions as a consequence of the interpretative plurality; construction of a graph reflecting the tempo logic of the performance interpretation of F. Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 in interpretations of O. Siloti, V. Cliburn, V. Benelli Mozell.
 The practical significance. Conducting a comparative analysis of performances of F. Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 will be an experimental basis for determining the summa of its performance paradigms on the level of an individual interpreter. Furthermore, new vectors for the analysis of interpretative versions will be created.
 The conclusions. Consequently, the summa of the performance paradigms of F. Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 is observed in a combination of the following aspects of its interpretation: a degree of applying tempo rubato, additional applying of melismas, variety of dynamics, articulation, pedalization, imitation of symphony orchestra instruments, folk instruments, and elements of “gypsy” singing.

Me enamoran en Jaén: XXV aniversario del Festival de Música Antigua de Úbeda y Baeza ed. by Javier Marín-López and Ascensión Mazuela-Anguita

Reviewed by: Me enamoran en Jaén: XXV aniversario del Festival de Música Antigua de Úbeda y Baeza ed. by Javier Marín-López and Ascensión Mazuela-Anguita Leonardo J. Waisman Me enamoran en Jaén: XXV aniversario del Festival de Música Antigua de Úbeda y Baeza. Edited by Javier Marín-López and Ascensión Mazuela-Anguita. 2 vols. Jaén: Diputación Provincial de Jaén, Área de Cultura y Deportes, 2021. [ 510 p. and 596 p. ISBN 9788415583622 (vol. 1), €30; ISBN 9788415583639 (vol. 2), €30.] Illustrations, tables, graphs, bibliography, index. "Impressive" is the first word that comes to mind when one looks at these two thick, handsome volumes. But the adjective is nonetheless a paltry assessment of the early-music festival being described. The sheer number and importance of the activities listed, the quality of the participating performers, the significance of the repertories unearthed, and the sociocultural impact of the festival strikes this reviewer as the monumental achievement of a major cultural enterprise. The Festival de Música Antigua de Úbeda y Baeza (FeMAUB), initiated in 1997 with four concert programs, [End Page 389] each played in both cities, has developed into an important, multifaceted event, with twenty-four concerts and academic events in 2019 (a number slightly reduced in 2020, in a pandemic environment). It seems significant that the latest budget for the festival was only slightly over €100,000—a modest figure compared with the millions spent on other major festivals. A contributing aspect to this financial frugality seems to be the eagerness on the part of local and foreign artists to participate in an event that goes beyond musical show. This monumental compilation in book form represents the festival's ideals and accomplishments most accurately, since it has been edited by Javier Marín-López, its director for the last fifteen years, and Ascención Mazuela-Anguita, adjunct director for the last five. The carefully crafted organization of the texts, images, and tables of information is neatly divided between the two volumes, the first containing studies and a directorio (directory), the second encompassing an assortment of assessments by institutional authorities, participants, and the press, followed by a gallery of images and a list (with QR code) of live recordings from the different editions of the festival. Less conventional, perhaps, although anchored in the history of book publishing, are two poems and two musical pieces written as offerings or homages to the Fe-MAUB. In this brief review, I will sidestep the testimonies of volume 2 and comment only on scholarly articles, drawing on diverse disciplines. The essays are neatly and symmetrically presented as an introduction, seven sections of two articles each, and a final single-article section. The introduction by the editor is not limited to a presentation of the contents; it adds significant accounts of the origin of the project, its distinguishing marks, and the musical pedigree of the beautiful cities that house it, designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. As Marín puts it, "the identity marks that define the festival [are] the orientation, rigor and independence of its artistic project, the recovery and airing of Iberian-American musical heritage, its dedication to education, its links to the monumental architecture of the cities, its projection to the entire provincial territory, the support of emerging performing groups, [and] the closeness between artists and audiences" (1:22, my trans.). The introduction also sets up a framework for the insertion of the ensuing texts within the emergent discipline of festival studies. The historic-geographic context of the FeMAUB is presented in two perspectives: one is a selective recounting of the history of early-music encounters in Europe, going back to the eighteenth century but highlighting the "rebellious, countercultural, or at least 'subcultural' context in which the birth of [these] festivals must be located" (1:40). After outlining the major developments in northern Europe in the mid-twentieth century, Isaac Alberto de Molina describes the extension of the phenomenon to Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Eastern countries in the 1990s. But his account refuses to close on bare data; his statement that "at the nucleus of Early Music...

The Music and the First World War Project at the Australian War Memorial

The Music and the First World War project was a First World War centenary project at the Australian War Memorial that involved the digitisation of a selection of diaries, letters, concert programs and 100 pieces of sheet music held in the Memorial’s collection. This article examines the process of developing the project, preparing the collections for digitisation and establishing a publishing framework for online release. The article also discusses some of the benefits of the project for telling the stories of each of these songs, their history and the performers involved.

How does war affect cultural tolerance? Evidence from concert programs, 1900–60

How does war affect states’ tolerance toward foreign culture? It is well documented by historians that democratic countries, despite their heralded values of liberty and diversity, acquiesce and even promote the practice of cultural intolerance in wartime. The available evidence, however, remains either anecdotal or limited to a specific context, and the extent to which war-induced cultural intolerance persists has so far rarely been examined. In order to investigate the short- and long-term effects of war on the degree of foreign cultural acceptance, this article focuses on patterns of classical music performances before, during, and after the two World Wars, based on a novel dataset assembled from concert program notes of ten renowned symphony orchestras from five countries (Austria, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States) between 1900 and 1960, covering 29,135 concerts and 125,530 pieces. Quantitative analysis suggests that the rate of performing pieces originating from belligerent countries in wartime declines markedly for music written in relatively modern times and that the defeat in wars led to a swift recovery of the exclusionary tendency against former enemy music. These findings demonstrate that states’ security concerns and relative power, rather than political regime types, dictate international transaction patterns, including cultural flows across sovereign state borders.

РУДОЛЬФ БАРШАЙ: СИМФОНИЧЕСКИЕ АНГАЖЕМЕНТЫ В СОВЕТСКИЙ ПЕРИОД. АРХИВНЫЕ НАХОДКИ (к 100-летию со дня рождения)

A legendary musician of the second half of the twentieth century — Rudolf Borisovich Barshai (1924–2010) — violist, conductor, composer-orchestrator, and a brilliant representative of both Moscow and Leningrad (Saint Petersburg) schools. The Moscow Chamber Orchestra (MCO) under the direction of Barshai, its founder and permanent artistic director and conductor throughout 1955–1976, became a symbol of the musical legacy of the country. The MCO represented the highest possible standard of sound, mastery of performance, and interpretation of works of different styles and eras. Symphonic music occupied an equally important place in the maestro’s work, covering numerous leading orchestras, hundreds of concert programmes and recordings around the world. Archival findings recently discovered by the author of this paper allow us to assert that Rudolf Barshai’s interest in performing symphonic music began and actively developed in the mid-1960s, and not in the 1970s, as previously thought. The analysis and discussion of these subjects rely on previously unknown and little explored archival materials and publications.

Following the Footsteps of Russian Tuvian Folk Music Scientists

This article aims to highlight the significance of song folklore recordings when documenting the scientific heritage of the first scientists and researchers of Tuvan musical folklore—A. N. Aksenov and E. V. Gippius—during the period 1927 to 1965. The methodological basis consists of the principles of historical continuity, objectivity, a holistic approach to the analysis of the history of the development of traditional Tuvan vocal music and the prospects for its development. The study of folk music is inextricably linked with the development of professional art. Currently, the works of visiting Soviet composers, melodically associated with Tuvan folklore, are practically not performed in the repertoire of concert programs of creative collectives of the city of Kyzyl. One of the main obstacles to their further application is the absence of these works in the curricula in music educational institutions. The issues of the prospects for the use of preserved sources in the digital archive of the Academy "Xөөmei" are analyzed. The question is raised about the need to create a single institutional repository of works and materials on the work of Russian specialists, musicologists, and scientists who studied the musical culture of Tuvinians in the Soviet period. Modern Tuvan musical folklore was largely based on the results of Aksenov's research, whose activities served as the main reference point for the study of Tuvan folk music and contributed to the flourishing of Tuvan musical art in Tuva.

CONDUCTING AND EDUCATIONAL WORK OF YEVHEN VAKHNIAK AT M. V. LYSENKO STATE CONSERVATORY OF LVIV

This article is devoted to the creative work of the famous conductor, teacher and composer Yevhen Vakhniak (1912–1998) which had a significant impact on the evolution of Ukrainian choral art. The purpose of this article is to focus the attention on long years conducting and educational work of Ye. Vakhniak at M. V. Lysenko State Conservatory of Lviv (now named M. V. Lysenko National Academy of Music of Lviv). We have analyzed the creative work of the conductor as head of men’s choir “Homin”, the choir of the opera studio, the student’s choir of the conservatory. We have identified artistic and worldview principles, repertoire priorities, features of conducting and performing style and educational approaches of the artist. We have briefly described his educational and methodological and compositional heritage. We provide the list of his most famous students and followers. During forty years of his creative work at M. V. Lysenko State Conservatory of Lviv, Ye. Vakhniak showed himself as practical choirmaster, conductor pedagogue, teacher trainer, arranger, and composer. The choirmaster practical activity of the conductor proved his professional universalism, maturity, and meaningfulness of his individual artistic style, as well as his inclination to creative experiments and integration of innovative methods of work. The wide range of the conducting repertoire of the artist included many monographic concert programs, the priority was given to the choir music of Ukrainian composers and to the ecclesiastic pieces of Western European authors. Ye. Vakhniak was a very good interpreter and proactive promoter of choral pieces by Galician composers. His artistic and pedagogical principles were based on the principles of Christian morality and had expressive signs of quiet non-conformism in relation to the social order of that time. Ye. Vakhniak didn’t accept and never applied authoritarian methods of work. The key to his success was great erudition, professional competency, personal commitment, and sociability. Ye. Vakhniak’s knowledge and creative experience are recorded in his monograph, articles, educational and methodical manuals and textbooks, music prints, phonograms, press publications. Large number of students and choir performers who later became successful professional musicians testify about high efficiency of Ye. Vakhniak as high school pedagogue, and the composer activity of the artist harmoniously complements the image of his universal creative personality of the Renaissance type.

Цезарь Пуни: новое к творческой биографии. Деятельность композитора на концертной эстраде летних садов Санкт-Петербурга и Москвы

The subject of this article is the composing and conducting activity of Caesar Pugni in the summer gardens of St. Petersburg and Moscow, which has been completely unknown until now. For the first time, this side of his multifaceted artistic activity is considered: organizing and compiling concert programs and composing. In his concert work, Pugni sought to popularize the works by Russian composers, primarily by M. I. Glinka. Puni was one of the first composers to respond to the events of the Crimean War of 1853–1856. Among his works on the "Crimean" theme, a symphonic poem in three parts "June 6, 1855 under the walls of Sevastopol" stands out. Based on music reviews, the article attempts to reconstruct the composer's intention. The given new information might help to recreate a complete picture of the work of Caesar Pugni, the greatest ballet composer of the 19th century.

Following the Footsteps of Russian Tuvian Folk Music Scientists

This article aims to highlight the significance of song folklore recordings when documenting the scientific heritage of the first scientists and researchers of Tuvan musical folklore—A. N. Aksenov and E. V. Gippius—during the period 1927 to 1965. The methodological basis consists of the principles of historical continuity, objectivity, a holistic approach to the analysis of the history of the development of traditional Tuvan vocal music and the prospects for its development. The study of folk music is inextricably linked with the development of professional art. Currently, the works of visiting Soviet composers, melodically associated with Tuvan folklore, are practically not performed in the repertoire of concert programs of creative collectives of the city of Kyzyl. One of the main obstacles to their further application is the absence of these works in the curricula in music educational institutions. The issues of the prospects for the use of preserved sources in the digital archive of the Academy "Xөөmei" are analyzed. The question is raised about the need to create a single institutional repository of works and materials on the work of Russian specialists, musicologists, and scientists who studied the musical culture of Tuvinians in the Soviet period. Modern Tuvan musical folklore was largely based on the results of Aksenov's research, whose activities served as the main reference point for the study of Tuvan folk music and contributed to the flourishing of Tuvan musical art in Tuva.

Reparations for Truth

There is much bad feeling, both real and cultivated, circulating these days between peoples of European decent, and peoples of Native American (both North and South America) descent, especially with regard to recent discoveries of historical events which occurred at schools run by American and Canadian authorities, as well as by the Catholic Church. Such scandals have hampered ongoing reconciliation efforts, and led to accusations of the existence of a concerted program of abuse and subjugation on the part of the Catholic Church. This article explores the issue, by way of a careful examination of the history of natural law thinking, as well as the formal statements of the popes regarding the actions of Europeans in the New World. While not glossing over historical misdeeds, it concluded that papal statements, articulated in the natural law tradition, were consistent in their condemnation of slavery and misuse of native peoples. They were also, sadly, ignored. The author concludes that a better understanding of natural law ideas is needed, both to understand the past, as well as to provide a method of reconciliation and moving forward, for the future.