Professional Ensembles Research Articles

A framework for modeling performers' beat-to-beat heart intervals using music features and Interpretation Maps.

Music strongly modulates our autonomic nervous system. This modulation is evident in musicians' beat-to-beat heart (RR) intervals, a marker of heart rate variability (HRV), and can be related to music features and structures. We present a novel approach to modeling musicians' RR interval variations, analyzing detailed components within a music piece to extract continuous music features and annotations of musicians' performance decisions. A professional ensemble (violinist, cellist, and pianist) performs Schubert's Trio No. 2, Op. 100, Andante con moto nine times during rehearsals. RR interval series are collected from each musician using wireless ECG sensors. Linear mixed models are used to predict their RR intervals based on music features (tempo, loudness, note density), interpretive choices (Interpretation Map), and a starting factor. The models explain approximately half of the variability of the RR interval series for all musicians, with R-squared = 0.606 (violinist), 0.494 (cellist), and 0.540 (pianist). The features with the strongest predictive values were loudness, climax, moment of concern, and starting factor. The method revealed the relative effects of different music features on autonomic response. For the first time, we show a strong link between an interpretation map and RR interval changes. Modeling autonomic response to music stimuli is important for developing medical and non-medical interventions. Our models can serve as a framework for estimating performers' physiological reactions using only music information that could also apply to listeners.

Modern instrumental and orchestral art of the Bukovyna region

Statement of the problem. The modern instrumental and orchestral art of Bukovyna, which has deep historical roots dating back to Proto-Slavic times, stands out for its bright originality. The creation of a musical-instrumental collective involves the search for a creative personality with the appropriate professional level, musical and organizational and communication skills, and the ability to communicate tolerantly with all members of the ensemble. That is why there is a need to highlight the artistic activities of both the instrumental groups themselves and their leaders. Because it is thanks to their creative restlessness that today Bukovyna is proud of a significant number of highly professional ensembles and orchestras of instrumental music. Objectives, scientific novelty, and methods of the research. The purpose of the study is to highlight the process of developing the instrumental collectives, whose activities contributed to the shaping of the modern Bukovyna musical culture. The special task of the research and its innovative component is to consider the role of outstanding figures of the leaders of these collectives in the cultural development of Bukovina. Historical, biographical, musicological and cultural approaches were chosen to reveal the stated topic, analytical and generalizing methods were used in the processing of reference sources and scientific literature. Results of the research. Bukovyna is historically multinational region, where the Ukrainian, in particular Hutsul, Romanian, Polish, Hungarian influences is felt. So, the creative activity and repertoire of the folk groups and academic instrumental ensembles are very diverse. The music art of instrumental ensembles has been always gaining interest and respect from the listeners, due to its distinguished professionalism and ease of perception. The artistic and educational activities of such instrumental ensembles as «Triple musicians», «Plai», Chamber and Academic Symphonic orchestra of the Chernivtsi Regional Philharmonic hall, folk music ensemble «Bukovyna» and the Brass Orchestra «Dixie-Band» of the Central Palace of Culture, the orchestra group of the Honoured Academic Bukovynyan song and dance ensemble named after A. Kushnirenko was highlighted. The active educational position of the leaders of these groups as an outstanding extraordinary personalities, their importance in the formation and development of cultural and educational processes in Bukovyna, popularization of the folk music of the Bukovyna region were emphasized. Such leaders are: People’s Artists of Ukraine – Andrii Kushnirenko, Yurii Gina, Pavlo Chebotov; Honored Artists of Ukraine – Mykola Hakman, Yuriy Bleshchuk, Yevhen Tarnavskyi, Oleksandr Zhukov; Honored Art Workers of Ukraine – Viktor Kostryzh, Yosyp Sozanskyi; Honored Cultural Workers of Ukraine – Illia Miskyi, Heorhii Novakovskyi. A significant number of famous vocalists from Bukovyna have worked with the orchestras at different times, such as Honoured Artists of Ukraine Mariia Melnychuk, Nina Kapliienko, Vasyl Pyndyk, Oksana Savchuk, Iryna Styts-Kulikovska, Honoured Worker of Culture of Ukraine Vasyl Fedoriuk, a poet-songwriter Mykola Bakai and others. Instrumental ensembles are regular participants of regional art festivals “Bukovynska vesna” (“Bukovyna Spring”), “Vizerunky Bukovyny” (“Patterns of Bukovyna”), “Bukovynski zustritchi” (“Bukovyna meetings”), “Chervona Ruta” (“Red rue”), “Bukovyna Suvenir”, and others. In the best traditions of brass music, brass band marches and brass concerts are constantly held in Chernivtsi, which turn into real festivals of folk music art. Conclusion. In this context, we consider the active concerts and competition activities of these groups to be important, because the instrumental art of the Bukovyna musicians are known far beyond the borders of Ukraine. The orchestras are multiple time participants of AllUkrainian and International competitions, and showcased their art to the audience of Europe, Canada, Australia and other parts of the world contributing in the constant growth of authority and world recognition of Ukrainian music.

Women's leadership in professional ensembles of folk dances and songs in Serbia

In this paper women's leadership will be reviewed through the professional biographies of two women who, in the role of director, managed the stage presentation of folk dance and music in Serbia. One of them is Olga Skovran, who laid the foundation of folklore professionalism in Serbia and the region and established the Ensemble "Kolo". She was the Ensemble's general manager from 1948 to 1965. The other woman is Snežana Jovanović, who has been the head of the Folk Dance and Song Ensemble of Kosovo and Metohija "Venac" from Gračanica since 2013. This paper will reflect on the professional positions of these two female figures who worked in historically different times. In addition, special attention will be given to defining leadership within two temporal and spatial dimensions, as well as the competences required for leading a professional ensemble in specific political, economic, artistic, and other conditions.

Pozorište lutaka u Kragujevcu (1951-1952)

Puppetry in Serbia dates back to the early 20th century, in the tradition of traveling puppeteers and entertainers at fairs. Puppet theaters in Serbia as theater institutions were established only after World War II when they consisted of professional ensembles with a permanent repertoire and a regular theater audience. The work explores puppetry as an art form on all levels, requiring a unique form, with the aim of uncovering the chronology of the establishment of Puppet Theaters, with a special focus on Kragujevac, which was among the early pioneers of puppetry. Throughout history and to this day, whether in the world or in Serbia, puppet shows are accessible to all ages, just like any other form of theater art. There's nothing more beautiful than awakening the child within oneself.

Musical intention as a mean of communication in variety vocal ensemble

The purpose of this article is to analyze the subject of musical intention and its role in the communicative processes of the performing form of a variety vocal ensemble. The study of scientific publications on the topic revealed that the concept of intention is thoroughly researched in the field of philosophy, but in musicology, especially in its variety field, it has not been studied enough.
 The relevance of the chosen topic is due to the growing popularity of vocal ensembles on the modern stage and insufficient theoretical understanding of the processes within this form of performance.
 The methodology. In the course of this study, we used the following general and special methods: structural-functional, comparative-analytical, sys-tem-comparative, induction method, functional and empirical. In combination, all these methods of scientific knowledge allow a wider and more detailed study of the specifics of the creative activity of a variety vocal ensemble.
 The results. The subject of musical intention, as well as the participants in this process in the vocal ensemble, are highlighted. The influence of musical intention on the efficiency and success of the functioning of this performing form is analyzed. On the basis of our performing and teaching practice, as well as as a result of theoretical and empirical research, we come to the conclusion that the musical intention is of paramount importance at all stages of the creative activity of the variety vocal ensemble performing form and plays a key role in its development.
 The scientific novelty. For the first time, the phenomenon of musical intention is studied as the main principle of the creative activity of a variety vocal ensemble. This subject is considered not only as an abstract phenomenon, but as the main link in all communication processes of the modern variety vocal ensemble.
 The practical significance. The results obtained can be actively applied in the practice of existing professional ensembles, educational vocal groups, as well as in amateur ensemble creativity. The application of the principles of intentionality will help artistic directors and performers to work more effectively and professionally with the performing form of a variety vocal ensemble.

A Queerly Joyful Noise: Choral Musicking for Social JusticeFocus: Choral Music in Global Perspective

A Queerly Joyful Noise: Choral Musicking for Social JusticeFocus: Choral Music in Global Perspective

Modern dance in Turkey with Geyvan McMillen “Yıldız Technical University Dance Program, Cemal Reşit Rey Dance Theater Company and Istanbul Dance Theater Company”

Geyvan McMillen, who has made great contributions to the development of modern dance in Turkey, apart from her activities in State Opera and Ballets, has established her own independent companies and staged her own choreographies in every period of her life. For the sake of revealing the quality of movement she desires to use in her choreographies, Geyvan McMillen has given great importance to the technical training of her dancers. Based on bodies taught in line with these techniques, she has provided her choreographies with distinctive genuineness. Considering technical education and original production as integral, Geyvan McMillen has established the Yıldız Technical University Art and Design Faculty Dance Program in 1998 in line with this vision. This program is significant in terms of the artist’s artistic journey. In 2002, she has founded the first professional ensemble, Cemal Reşit Rey Dance Theater Company, made up of students trained under the technique she has developed. In 2005 the artist has further founded and directed the Istanbul Dance Theater Company. This article summarizes Geyvan McMillen's contributions to the art of dance in Turkey and the most important outputs of her art vision; namely the university program she has introduced and her work with independent groups she has founded in the 2000s.

The journey of the Thai musical instruction collection at the University of California, Los Angeles

An ensemble of Thai classical instruments was first brought to UCLA by Dr. David Morton who taught in the Ethnomusicology Department. After he left UCLA, the instruments were disused for decades. In 2015, the author was hired to examine and restore the collection to a playable condition, and subsequently to re-establish the Music of Thailand ensemble class. With financial support from the Thai consulate and the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, the course is now offered regularly and the instrument collection has expanded further. The oldest of the instruments at UCLA originated from the family of a prominent teacher and are highly regarded by their descendants and considered spiritually powerful. These connections were honored with a wai khruu (‘honoring the teachers’) ceremony held at UCLA featuring a professional ensemble of musicians from Thailand. In this paper, the author will introduce the classical instruments of Thailand, their basic construction and tuning, and the process of restoring the collection at UCLA.An ensemble of Thai classical instruments was first brought to UCLA by Dr. David Morton who taught in the Ethnomusicology Department. After he left UCLA, the instruments were disused for decades. In 2015, the author was hired to examine and restore the collection to a playable condition, and subsequently to re-establish the Music of Thailand ensemble class. With financial support from the Thai consulate and the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, the course is now offered regularly and the instrument collection has expanded further. The oldest of the instruments at UCLA originated from the family of a prominent teacher and are highly regarded by their descendants and considered spiritually powerful. These connections were honored with a wai khruu (‘honoring the teachers’) ceremony held at UCLA featuring a professional ensemble of musicians from Thailand. In this paper, the author will introduce the classical instruments of Thailand, their basic construction and tuning, and the process of restoring the col...

A Victory for Real People: Dangers in the Discourse of Democratisation

Abstract In this essay, I will examine the development of a growing trend of democratisation in British contemporary theatre that seeks to reject the expertise of playwrights, actors or professional ensembles in favour of verbatim material drawn from a range of the public selected for their ordinariness, or conceptual frameworks within which the audience themselves construct and perform the aesthetic content of the work.This essay seeks to highlight how the discursive and aesthetic framing of real people in this context can, in certain instances, be seen to reflect the construction of ‘real, ordinary people’ in the political discourse surrounding the 2016 EU Referendum in the UK. In both cases, ‘real people’ are understood to be in opposition to those who might be said to hold particular professional expertise and also, commonly, to those of a more privileged socio-economic status: the so-called ‘liberal elite.’ With reference to Rimini Protokoll’s 100 % Salford, The National Theatre of Great Britain’s My Country and Kaleider’s The Money I will suggest that this particular discourse of democratisation, in both politics and theatre, can too easily conceal the expertise that lies behind the construction of ‘real people’ and their narratives.

Renaissance music for the choral conductor: a practical guide

Renaissance Music for the Choral Conductor is the ideal textbook for choral literature and choral conducting classes on the undergraduate and graduate levels. It can serve as a reference for anyone who wishes to program and explore music from this period in greater depth, including church musicians and conductors of professional ensembles. The book concludes with a bibliography, glossary, and selected discography.

Kolportaż druków muzycznych przez Drukarnię W. Deckera w świetle anonsów prasowych i jego wpływ na kształtowanie kultury muzycznej Wielkopolan

Drukarnia W. Deckera była bardzo znanym zakładem typograficznym w Poznaniu okresu zaborów. W artykule omówiono pomijaną dotychczas jej działalność księgarską. Obejmowała ona kolportaż druków muzycznych sprowadzanych głównie z Lipska. Badając ten problem, przeprowadzono kwerendę prasową, która dała dość zaskakujące wyniki. Odkryto nieznane do tej pory, samoistne, obszerne katalogi księgarskie. Zawierają one informacje o drukach muzycznych dostępnych w sprzedaży. Zestaw oferowanych nut był bardzo duży. Począwszy od druków pedagogicznych, poprzez nuty przeznaczone dla amatorów, po partytury dla zespołów zawodowych. Wśród proponowanych utworów przeważają dzieła najnowsze, skomponowane po roku 1800. Mimo iż większość nazwisk występujących w katalogach nie jest dzisiaj znana publiczności, poszczególne spisy przekazują informacje o muzyce wartościowej. Wiele dzieł odegrało rolę w rozwoju muzyki i kształtowaniu gustów muzycznych Wielkopolan.

Changing the System: The Music of Christian Wolff (review)

Changing the System: of Wolff. Edited by Stephen Chase and Philip Thomas. Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2010. [xxiii, 259 p. ISBN 9780754666806. $114.95.] examples, illustrations, list of works, bibliography, discography, index. has long been recognized as an important figure of the New York School alongside John Cage, Morton Feldman, and Earle Brown. However, as the youngest member of the and the least likely to loudly promote his own music, he has largely been overlooked in scholarship to date, despite the fact that devoted musicians have kept his music central to the avant-garde concert scene. SEM Ensemble, lead by Petr Kotik, and the Calithumpian Consort, directed by Stephen Drury, are two here in the United States that have championed Wolff's music, and there are others, especially in England and Germany. This collection of essays, Changing the System: of Wolff, edited by Stephen Chase and Philip Thomas, is a first-of-its-kind book-length study of Wolff's music. book is divided into four parts: Reception, History; The Music; Politics; and Performance. All essays touch on the issue of as a socially and politically aware composer and how his experimental sounds, ensembles, notations, and performance requirements speak to a kind of political engagement. book also includes a list of works, bibliography, and discography. Michael Hicks's essay 'Our Webern': and Feldman's Devotion to Wolff sets the tone for the collection by strongly arguing for 's central position in the New York School, not simply as a student of Cage but as an original composer equally learning from and influencing his peers. Hicks unpacks what it meant for and Feldman to compare to Webern, going beyond the superficial parallels between their biographies to real compositional affinities. Hicks also identifies specific compositional ideas central to Cage's later works that originate with Wolff, especially musical discontinuity as unexpected continuity (p. 12), and an approach to composition that was process oriented instead of organized by segments of time (p. 13). Amy Beal brilliantly weaves together recent material from extensive interviews with with transcripts of his historic Darmstadt talks for her essay Christian in Darmstadt, 1972 and 1974. essay reveals a conflicted Darmstadt community split over issues of politics, relevancy, reception, funding, notation, and performance. At Darmstadt, introduced the music of Rzewski, Cage, Oliveros, Lucier, and Glass to his seminar participants, who were quite vocal in their critiques. was the first American composer at Darmstadt in 1972 since Babbitt in 1964, and this American presence was controversial. Philip Thomas's For Pianist: Solo Piano Music and James Saunders's Mutual Effects: Organization and Inter - action in the Orchestral of Wolff both examine repertoires for specific instrumentation. Thomas describes Wolff's literature for piano in light of specific performers, other composers, and Wolff's writing for his own performance. Saunders looks at Wolff's compositions for large in light of the issues of individual freedom, decision making, improvisation, indeterminacy, and the politics of employing such an ensemble as an orchestra. Both are valuable resources for performers of this repertoire as both give strong detailed descriptions of how the scores work and how key pieces are constructed. Christopher Fox's essay Exercising the Ensemble: Some Thoughts on the Later of similarly approaches a specific repertoire, this time for chamber orchestra, examining Instrumental Exercises with Peace March 4 (1985) and Apartment House Exercises (2002). While Fox's analysis of referentiality (to source materials or to earlier compositional techniques) is interesting, Fox's reliance on his own experience as a performer of these works is less so, especially when he makes overarching, dismissive conclusions about the nature of professional ensembles and experimental notation (p. …

Presenting Chamber Music to Young Children

The number of professional ensembles and organizations with dedicated outreach concerts has been steadily increasing over the past decade. More recently, educational concerts pairing chamber music with young children have been documented. The work presented in this article is a study in the efficacy and feasibility of this format. Various music activities and ways to engage and involve the audience in performances are presented. The role of the music educator in managing and facilitating the performance is detailed with a subsequent presentation of general guidelines for implementation. Example videos that model music educator—ensemble—audience interaction are included.

Preparing the Conductor as Teacher

As nineteenth-century musical romanticism flourished, professional ensembles began to exceed the chamber music dimensions of preceding generations. Musical scores required dozens and sometimes hundreds of musicians to perform the music of Berlioz, Wagner, and Mahler. Out of necessity, the conductor began to replace the performer as the principal leader during performances. Because many of these early conductors were composers, their role as interpreter was central in the evolution of the profession. Although this professional model has served as the template for the training of conductors, many undergraduate conducting students will spend their careers in the teaching profession working with inexperienced, amateur musicians. Additionally, the size of many ensembles in schools today more closely approximates the chamber music of the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries than the gargantuan groups of the Romantic era. How we prepare conductors, then, should focus on the conductor as teacher, musical collaborator, and pedagogue. Much of the formal academic and professional training and the majority of conducting workshops and master classes emphasize communicating musical ideas effectively through visual gestures--using the hands, face, and body. Most professional ensembles, by extension, foster an environment where the conductor shapes the finished product according to his or her preconceptions of the music derived from score study. The group seeks to mirror the conductor's interpretive ideas through watching and reading the physical conducting. While conductorless ensembles are rare in the music world, they have much to offer the cause of developing independence among ensemble members.2 Conducting students usually begin their training by developing skill in physical conducting technique. The conducting instructor observes and attempts to refine the movements of the student into motions that will communicate ideas inherent in the music. Students ultimately conduct one another in a laboratory environment, where the intent is to produce musicians who are able to interpret a musical score and be comfortable in front of an ensemble. In addition to physical technique, most conducting classes emphasize score study prior to rehearsal. For example, if an apprentice is assigned to conduct Mozart's Ave verum corpus, he or she must know what the Latin lyrics mean, be able to give a short synopsis of Mozart's life, and have some knowledge of his oeuvre. The apprentice should also possess an understanding of form, key, instrumentation, performing edition, and other compositional features of the work. For many conducting classes, these two issues, conducting technique (communicating to an ensemble) and score preparation (understanding the composer's intent), are the principal foci of undergraduate conducting classes. A cursory examination of conducting textbooks and course syllabi corroborates these two topics as the primary components of

Nurturing the careers of Australia's future composers

In 1994, the Australian Society for Music Education (ASME) initiated two related projects supporting and acknowledging composition in schools and offering the opportunity for secondary school-aged students to work with prominent Australian composers. These were the Young Composers' Project and the Composer-in-Residence Project. Both projects were planned in conjunction with the biennial ASME National Conference, in association with the Australian Music Centre and initially the Australia Council for the Arts. The context of this article is set with an overview of the teaching of composition in the compulsory and post-compulsory years of schooling in Australia, giving contrasting examples of a specific syllabus and a generic framework. Organizations in Australia that provide composition opportunities for students are identified and acknowledged. The ASME Young Composers' Project and the Composer-in-Residence Project are presented to illustrate venture-developed projects that are promoted by a professional teaching association to nurture school-age student composers and the teaching of composition in schools. The experiences of some of the students who have participated in the projects are presented. Their comments mainly focus on the opportunity that is provided by the Young Composers' Project to work with composers and professional ensembles, and the opportunity to meet members of their peer group with like interests.

The Hungarian state folk ensemble as a dynamic institution in Hungarian ethnography

Every year thousands of individuals come to know Hungarian folk culture through staged performance. From children’s ensembles to amateur ensembles to the most professionally organized groups, audiences in Hungary are treated to a wide variety of creatively reinterpreted Hungarian folk dance and folk music traditions. Staged folk dance has become a unique and powerful mode of cultural expression. This article attempts to illuminate staged folk dance’s potential for commentary, focusing on the choreographies and work of the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble (Magyar Allami Nepi Egyuttes, or MANE as it is commonly referred to). Established in 1951, it is one of the oldest folk ensembles on the European continent and is the only professional ensemble in Hungary that is referenced as a State ensemble. Much more than a static or isolated organization that provides a pleasant evening’s entertainment, the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble is integrally woven into the fabric of social life, qualitatively shaping and contri...

Mountains of Mozart

In this anniversary year of the birth of Mozart, the recording industry has inundated the marketplace with new recordings, reissues and novelties, although the deluge has not been as abundant as in the 20ooth anniversary commemorations of 1991, when Philips released their complete Mozart Edition, or during the ensuing decade, when production of new recordings by this composerentire cycles of vocal and instrumental works-appeared on a scale eclipsed only by that of the Bach year in 2000. With the continuing developments in performance practice research and the increase in the number of professional ensembles since the early 199os, revisions of existing recorded interpretations have been made by new groups, and lesser-known repertory has reached the public arena. Among the plethora of recent releases figure many noteworthy discs of vocal and instrumental music. A prominent contribution is a new reading of the Mozart: Requiem (K617 K617180, rec 2005, 52') in its standard Stissmayr version, recorded live by Jean-Claude Malgoire with the Kantorei Saarlouis and La Grande Ecurie et la Chambre du Roy. Its most distinguishing feature is the addition of a 'Libera me' movement, 'with which the Roman Church ends the Office of the Dead', composed by Sigismund Ritter von Neukomm (17781858) 'to follow Mozart's Requiem at the performance of that immortal masterpiece in the church of the Brotherhood of St Cecilia' in Rio de Janeiro on 19 December 1819, possibly the first performance of the Requiem on South American soil. As detailed by Alain Pacquier in his splendid accompanying essay, the manuscript of Neukomm's Libera me was recently rediscovered in the Biblioteca Nacional of Brazil, where it had languished almost unnoticed. Neukomm, a student of Joseph and Michael Haydn, was a prolific composer, orchestrator and arranger. He studied and worked as a musician throughout Europe, was a chapelmaster in St Petersburg from 1804 to 1809, and in 1816 sailed to Brazil as part of the retinue of a diplomatic mission to the court of Emperor Jodo VI at Rio de Janeiro (which had been established there since 1808 with the self-imposed exile of the Portuguese Braganga dynasty). During his time there, he became associated with the Brotherhood of St Cecilia, and forged a relationship with the priest and composer Jose Mauricio Nunes Garcia, mestre de capela at the Chapel Royal of Brazil, who conducted the 1819 performance of the Requiem. Neukomm's Brazilian sojourn lasted five years, after which time he returned to France, remaining there until his death.

Pierre Monteux: Maitre (review)

Reviewed by: Pierre Monteux, Maître Jane Gottlieb Pierre Monteux, Maître. By John Canarina; forward by Neville Marriner. Pompton Plains, NJ: Amadeus Press, 2003. [372 p. ISBN 1-57467-082-4 $29.95.] Illustrations, discography, bibliography, index. In his loving and detailed biography of Pierre Monteux (1875–1964), John Canarina seeks to shed new light on the conductor who was responsible for the premieres of Stravinsky's Petrushka, The Rite of Spring, and The Nightingale; Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé; and Debussy's Jeux. While many know of Monteux's connection with the legendary premiere of The Rite of Spring, few perhaps think of him as the conductor who made the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra a professional ensemble, or one whose performances and recordings of works of Beethoven and Brahms were heralded by musicians and audiences alike. [End Page 981] Canarina, who was a student of Monteux, undertook this project to address the lacunae in published book sources about the conductor. Prior to Canarina's book, the only book sources were two by Monteux's third wife, Doris. As Canarina points out in his preface (p. 12), the first of her books, Everyone is Someone (New York: Farrar, Straus and Cudahy, 1962) was written under the name of the couple's pet dog, Fifi Monteux. Doris published her next book It's All in the Music (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1965) under her own name, and Canarina frequently refers to it (through text-inserted references) in his volume. Canarina acknowledges that "perhaps it was difficult to write about Monteux for the simple reason that there was very little about him that was controversial" (p. 12). Even with his connection to the notorious premiere of The Rite of Spring, the portly, affable Monteux did not attract scholarly or even novelistic interest (with the exception of the books by his wife). Canarina corrects this gap through his incredibly detailed chronicle of Monteux's life. The conductor's daughter Nancie Monteux-Barendese provided the author with the surviving documents in her possession, including clippings, correspondence, photographs, and other memorabilia. Canarina chronicles the details of his life and background from his ancestors in the city of Monteux (near Sête in the south of France, home to many Sephardic Jews), to his studies at the Paris Conservatoire (first on the violin; later on the viola, with harmony and counterpoint studies with Albert Lavignac and Charles Lenepveu respectively), and his first conducting opportunities. In 1911 he was engaged to rehearse Diaghilev's Ballets Russes Orchestra for the premiere of Stravinsky's Petrushka, which was to be conducted by Nikolai Tcherepnin (1873–1945). Stravinsky was so impressed with Monteux's quick command of his complex score that he insisted that Monteux conduct the premiere performance, thus beginning the conductor's providential association with Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes. Canarina's chapter on Monteux's connection with the legendary premiere of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring in Paris on 29 May 1913 repeats some quotes found in other sources, such as his first reaction to hearing the composer play the work on the piano (relayed by Doris Monteux): "My own head ached terribly, and I decided then and there that the symphonies of Beethoven and Brahms were the only music for me, not the music of this crazy Russian!" (p. 40), as well as Monteux's specific corrections to the score in a letter sent to Stravinsky on 30 March 1913 (p. 41; quoted in Robert Craft's Stravinsky: Selected Correspondence, 3 vols. [New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1984], 1:53). This is somewhat disappointing, and one can only assume that the Monteux collection that Canarina worked from did not have additional primary source material on this historic event, such as Stravinsky's notes to the conductor. While the The Rite of Spring premiere certainly put the spotlight on Monteux, so to speak, it did not automatically send him to a secure conducting post. In August 1914 he was called up to serve in the French army (an experience humorously recounted by Canarina). His enlistment did not prevent him from traveling to New York with the Ballets Russes, which brought him into contact...

Millennium Harvest: The BBC Singers Commissions for 1999

One recurring theme in the 75-year history of the BBC Singers (and their various predecessors) has been the tension between their role as a model for amateur choirs and their capabilities as a professional ensemble. Their longest-serving director, Leslie Woodgate, who was in charge from 1934 until his death in 1961, was also an important figure in the amateur choral movement; he clearly believed that part of the BBC choruses' role in broadcasting was to demonstrate how part-songs and oratorios, and indeed hymns and psalms, should be performed. But, given the quality of the forces he had at his disposal, Woodgate was hardly likely to turn down opportunities to conduct the first performances of, for example, Britten's A Boy was born and Hymn to St Cecilia, nor decline to prepare the chorus for the premieres of Bartok's Cantata Profana and Webern's Das Augenlicht and First Cantata.

CHANGES IN THE ALGERIAN SANʿA TRADITION AND THE ROLE OF THE MUSICOLOGIST IN THE PROCESS

The sarta is a vocal kind of music, which originated in the Arabic musical tradition of Spain during the Middle Ages. Since then it has been practiced during many centuries in the different cities along the Mediterranean coast of Algeria. This Algerian tradition is related to the Tunisian Ma'l?f and the Moroccan ?ia. Characteristic of the repertory is the symmetrical and regular musical form of the compositions, the use of contrafacts, and the suite-like order in which the compositions are performed. This order is generally called the nawba. During the 20th century the sarta tradition has been subjected to a great number of changes. A few of them will be discussed in this paper. The first change concerns the socio-cultural setting of the music, the second concerns the performance practice, and the third the idiom itself. The last mentioned change affects in some way the work of the musicologist collecting and transcribing the repertory. A short discussion of the role of the musicologist and his work in relation to the changes of the idiom will therefore conclude this paper. Let us start with the discussion of the socio-cultural setting. Traditionally the sarta is performed mainly during all kinds of family celebrations (such as marriages, engagements, and circumcisions) of the local aristocracy and the high class bourgeoisie. The music is played by professional ensembles, which are hired for high remunerations. These ensembles perform also in public places such as in coffee houses, but both musically and economically these latter performances are less interesting. In the course of the 20th century the traditional role of the sarta has become less important. The colonisation and subsequent influence of