ARTES. JOURNAL OF MUSICOLOGY publishes research studies in major fields of musicology: Music History, Music Theory, Music Analysis, Musical Aesthetics, Ethnomusicology, Musical Byzantinology, Theory of musical performance. Conceived as a volume of studies in the theory of art (music, theatre, fine arts), the 1st issue of ARTES magazine was published by the "George Enescu" University of Arts in Iaşi in 1996. Starting with the 4th issue, the thematic profile of the magazine has become exclusively musical. Its contents and frequency of appearance have been closely related to the National Musicology Symposium "The Science of Music" (organised, beginning with 1997, by the "George Enescu" University of Arts), to the National Musicology Symposium "Identity and stylistic contexts in Romanian musical works" (initiated by the same institution in 2007), to the International Byzantinology Symposium initiated in 2008 and to the objectives of Research centre "The science of music", accreditted by CNCSIS in 2004. Beginning with the 11th issue, magazine ARTES has become bilingual and published in the languages of Romanian and English. The topic areas have extended to research in Byzantinology, while beginning with the 15th issue the magazine was renamed to Artes. Journal of Musicology. Artes. Journal of musicology has been indexed in CEEOL (Central and Eastern European Online Library) and ERIHPLUS (European Reference Index for The Humanities and Social Sciences)
ARTES publishing house – "George Enescu" University of Arts Iaşi
Regia în spectacolele istorice din opera moldovenească: o analiză a evoluției și a reflectării în presa timpului
Regia în spectacolele istorice din opera moldovenească reprezintă un domeniu de studiu fascinant, care îmbină arta scenică cu istoria și cultura unei regiuni bogate în tradiții. Opera moldovenească, cu rădăcini adânci în folclor și istorie, a evoluat de-a lungul timpului, iar regia a fost esențială în conturarea identității acestor opere. Spectacolele istorice, în special, oferă o platformă unică pentru a explora nu doar evenimentele și personaje din trecut, ci și modul în care aceste narațiuni sunt interpretate și reinterpretate de-a lungul decadelor. În acest context, regia devine un instrument esențial prin care se pot transmite valorile culturale și identitare ale poporului moldovenesc. Prin viziunea regizorului, fiecare spectacol istoric capătă nu doar o dimensiune artistică, ci și una educativă, invitând publicul să reflecteze asupra istoriei sale și să înțeleagă mai bine complexitatea identității naționale. Regizorii contemporani, inspirându-se din tradițiile locale și din contextul sociocultural actual, reinterpretează lucrările clasice și explorează teme relevante, care rezonează cu tineretul de astăzi. La fel, regia în opera moldovenească nu se limitează la o simplă recreare a evenimentelor istorice, ci aduce în prim-plan interacțiuni profunde între personaje, subliniind emoțiile și conflictele umane universale care transcend timpul. Această abordare permite spectatorilor să se conecteze emoțional cu povestea, transformând fiecare reprezentație într-o experiență memorabilă, care stimulează gândirea critică și discuțiile despre trecut și viitor.
regie, opera moldovenească, cultura, identitate, educație
Copyright (c) 2026 ARTES. JOURNAL OF MUSICOLOGY https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Jazz-ul și sonoritățile digitale în era postmodernă. Interferențe ale stilului Nu jazz în creația proprie
Impactul tehnologiei asupra muzicii de jazz a fost profund, provocator și cu reverberații multiple încă de la începuturile conturării genului. Combinarea calităților sonice ale jazz-ului cu cele specifice muzicii electronice impun activarea celor mai subtile ramificații ale imaginației, muzicienii abordând ideea din perspectiva experienței solide în sfera muzicii de jazz. La finalul anilor 1990, o nouă subcategorie este introdusă în zona stilurilor muzicale, cunoscută sub denumirea de Nu jazz, o combinație dintre muzica de jazz și elemente ale stilurilor de dans, în mod particular din funk și electronica, la care se adaugă improvizația liberă. Variantele de abordare sonoră sunt cuprinse între utilizarea completă a dispozitivelor electronice și instrumentația exclusiv live, între aceste situându-se combinațiile dintre instrumentele acustice și efectele electronice, elementul constant reprezentându-l frazarea și concepția armonică specifică muzicii de jazz. Studiul de față propune o argumentare din perspectiva unei creații proprii, Summit, a direcțiilor componistice trasate de mișcarea Third Stream într-un context stilistic eterogen, contemporan, ce înglobează atât elemente ale tradiției, cât și cele ale jazz-ului clasic și modern. Interferența stilului Nu jazz constituie o posibilă modalitate de a face relevantă compoziția de jazz în arealul publicului actual.
Nu jazz, academic, electronic, third stream
Aspecte stilistice și semantice în Simfonia a III-a „Ofrandă lui Brâncuși” de Viorel Munteanu
Pentru compozitorul, profesorul și Rectorul Viorel Munteanu, 2024 este un an al împlinirii după o viață dedicată muzicii. Manager dedicat, profesor formator a numeroase generații de muzicieni, creator al unei identități componistice inconfundabile, Viorel Munteanu a fost și este un vizionar care a insuflat tuturor pasiunea sa. La aniversarea vârstei de 80 de ani, maestrul ieșean a fost aniversat la Universitatea Națională de Arte „George Enescu în cadrul Festivalului Muzicii Românești ediția XXVI. În acest context festiv, au avut diverse evenimente dedicate personalității sale (ceremonia de deschidere, concerte dedicate creației sale, lansarea volumelor aniversare Jurnal de drum precum și premiera Simfoniei a III-a „Ofrandă lui Brâncuși” la Filarmonica „Moldova” Iași sub bagheta dirijorului Radu Postăvaru. Prin omagiul adus sculptorului român, Viorel Munteanu propune o „altfel de simfonie” prin ilustrarea sonoră a spiritului brâncușian și a ideilor esențiale ce definesc arta sculpturală. Frapantă prin complexitatea și monumentalitatea sa, simfonia conține cinci părți în care sunt reflectate înclinația artistului către spiritualitate, pasiunea pentru meșteșug și cele mai importante capodopere: I. Lumină din Cartea Sfântă. Rugăciune; II. Făurăria lui Brâncuși (Atelierul); III. Măiastra; IV. Pământul și cerul din noi; V. Taine la „Masa Tăcerii”. Lucrarea deține o componentă inovativă, fiind însoțită de o proiecție video ilustrativă, realizată de Andrei Cozlac, ce conține animații, poze documentare și elementele-simbol. În studiul Aspecte stilistice și semantice în Simfonia a III-a „Ofrandă lui Brâncuși” de Viorel Munteanu îmi doresc să expun particularitățile tehnice și semantice, laboriosul proces de cercetare întreprins de compozitor pentru a concretiza libretul acestei creații monumentale și unicitatea sa în contextul muzicii românești contemporane.
Viorel Munteanu, Constantin Brâncuși, Simfonia a III-a „Ofrandă lui Brâncuși”, analiză semantică.
Liviu Dănceanu – un „clasic”al muzicii postmoderne
Compozitorul, muzicologul, dirijorul, profesorul, eseistul Liviu Dănceanu (1954-2017) rămâne o personalitate marcantă în cultura muzicală românească din a doua jumătate a secolului XX și începutul secolului XXI. În acest an, Liviu Dănceanu ar fi împlinit vârsta de 70 de ani. Cu această ocazie aniversară, Universitatea Națională de Arte „George Enescu” din Iași s-a alăturat inițiativelor din alte centre universitare românești de a organiza un eveniment omagial sub forma unui portret componistic in memoriam, integrat în ediția cu numărul XXVI a Festivalului Muzicii Românești. Concertul cameral dedicat lui Liviu Dănceanu a avut loc la data de 15 octombrie 2024, în Sala „Eduard Caudella” din Iași, având în program opt lucrări din diferite etape de creație ale compozitorului, în interpretarea ansamblului Archaeus pe care l-a plăsmuit, coordonat și susținut de la înființarea acestuia în 1985 până la sfârșitul vieții sale, în 2017. Atelierul de muzică contemporană a dus mai departe idealurile creatorului său până în prezent, continuând linia promovării compozițiilor noi, apărute după 1970, considerate postmoderne și/sau contemporane. În acest studiu ne propunem analiza poziției pe care cercetătorii muzicologi o acordă lui Liviu Dănceanu în contextul istoric al muzicii românești și vizăm observarea receptării creațiilor lui Liviu Dănceanu în actualitate, având ca punct de referință programul concertului susținut la Iași de Ansamblul Archaeus.
aniversare, concert omagial, portret componistic, postmodernism, muzică contemporană.
Interferențe conceptuale în evoluțiagenului muzical liric. Arrigo Boito și opera Mefistofeleîn dialog cu Richard Wagner și Gioachino Rossini
Opera Mefistofele de Arrigo Boito marchează un punct în tranziția de la Romantism la Postromantism, aducând o inovație îndrăzneață într-un mediu muzical italian conservator. Opera este inspirată de mitul faustic, iar Boito este singurul autor al libretului și al muzicii. Alături de Disposizione scenica, autorul propune o reinterpretare a genului liric, distanțându-se de normele perioadei sale. Boito, cunoscut ca un vizionar al operei secolului XX, aspira la Arta totală, concept popularizat și de Richard Wagner, în care muzica, teatrul și artele vizuale se îmbină într-o unitate totalizatoare. Relația dintre Boito și Wagner, reflectată în articole și corespondență, a fost complexă, cu sentimente contradictorii de admirație și dezamăgire. Deși dorea o reînnoire artistică imediată, Boito păstra legături cu trecutul, fiind influențat de predecesori precum Gioachino Rossini. Această influență, deși subtilă și aparent neconectată stilistic, se manifestă prin aluzii și sugestii în Mefistofele, confirmate de articolele lui Boito și analizele muzicale comparative. Criticii subliniază contribuția lui Boito la reformarea operei italiene, deschizând calea pentru evoluțiile ulterioare. Mefistofele rămâne un exemplu al îmbinării tradiției cu inovația, invitând la o nouă perspectivă asupra esteticii spectacolului liric.
Mefistofele, Gesamtkunstwerk, tradiție, reformă, inovație.
Aspects of piano music performed in the last editions of the Romanian Music Festival
The Romanian Music Festival takes place in Iași and is organized by two of the most prominent institutions of culture and artistic education: the “Moldova” Philharmonic and the “George Enescu” National University of Arts. In 2025, at its twenty-seventh edition, the festival continues to bring to Iași’s stages performers from both Romania and abroad, offering audiences music written by classical and contemporary Romanian composers. Each musical genre and each instrument holds its own significance within the vast sonic panorama; however, time has shown that solo piano music is indispensable to a festival of this scope. From the piano recital programs of recent editions, we have selected a number of lesser-known works, with the aim of deepening the understanding of compositional techniques and stylistic features. Our focus began with Nocturne in F-sharp Minor and Nocturne on a Moldavian Theme by Dinu Lipatti. We then explored the innovative style and technical challenges of Constantin Silvestri through his final piano work, Piano Sonata No. IV, Rhapsody in Three Episodes. Finally, we turned our attention to a composer closer to our own time, Tudor Dumitrescu, analyzing four preludes from his oeuvre. Through the analytical perspective developed herein, we highlight lesser-performed works and underscore the importance of recognizing and promoting Romanian composers.
Lipatti, Silvestri, Dumitrescu, “Moldova” Philharmonic, “George Enescu” National University of Arts.
Aspects of the relationship between music, geometry and number in the own work, “O”
The present research proposes an introspection on my own work „O” for trombone and percussion, both in terms of: (1) the symbolic content originating from the interaction of the domains mentioned in the title, (2) the form, as sound architecture, (3) as well as a possible decryption of the act of creation, as a result of the first two, viewed from and through the interiority of the composer in the process of mental-theoretical preparation that generated the actual composition, sprinkled on journey. To begin with, a few considerations will be presented on the relationship between music and the geometry and symbolism of numbers, especially the sign in the title and a few of its interpretations. There will be a brief analysis regarding the segments and structures that make up the form, with the mention of some scales, melodic, rhythmic, timbral particularities, viewed in correlation with the script and (possibly) originating from the script. From the beginning of the process of creating the piece, I had in mind the possibility of presenting the piece as an abstract instrumental theater, with choreographic inlays.
geometry, number, symbol, musical shape, circle, zero, sphere.
Dalí's moustache between colours, words, images, non-fungible token and... sounds
Based on the graphic novel Dalí's Mustache and Other Colors, published by Polirom in 2020, the article Dalí's Mustache between Color, Word, Image, Non-Fungible Token, and... Sound proposes a reevaluation of the concept of musicological research from a contemporary interdisciplinary perspective, as an authentic act of culture. The 16 paintings imagined by visual artist Felix Aftene, perfectly suited to the equally impressive literary chapters written by Lucian Dan Teodorovici, follow a path marked by metamorphosis, with stops that generate new meanings and senses (video artist Andrei Cozlac, Blockchain consultant Gabi Dumitru), with the final destination being the concert stage in the orchestral suite composed by the young musician Paul Pintilie and premiered at the Classix Festival in 2023 on the stage of the “Vasile Alecsandri” National Theater in Iași, performed by the National Youth Orchestra of Moldova and the “Sonos Alumni” Chamber Orchestra of the Iași University of Arts. The article is conceived along parallel lines/arts, but continuously linked by a common thread: Dalí's moustache, a surrealist universe in which the conventional-unconventional dualism fits perfectly.
Dalí, Lucian Dan Teodorovici, painting-novel, Felix Aftene, paintings, Paul Pintilie, orchestral suite.
The germinative potential of musical allusions and quotations. Case studies from the work of Romanian composers
Since the earliest times, pre-existing music has been a germinative layer that generated new musical entities. As the composer Dan Dediu inspiringly states, “music begets music”. In the particular case of using musical allusions or quotations, the set of their associated connotations has the potential to create a space of interference that can amplify the semantic reverberations of the new work. Sometimes, musical imprints from other spaces or times are placed in the showcase, in plain view. Other times, they are deliberately hidden, transformed into subterranean energies, like unseen rhizomes nourishing the musical organism from within. The case studies selected from the work of Romanian composers represent some hypostases of this fascinating and fertile dialog between past and present. The case studies selected from the works of Romanian composers (Narrative II by Anatol Vieru, music for the film Osânda [The Punishment] by Tiberiu Olah and the Triple Concert “Brahmsodia” by Dan Dediu) represent some of the hypostases of this fascinating and fertile dialog between past and present. From the point of view of the relationship with pre-existing music, the three chosen works propose different solutions: Vieru uses a very well known music, but with subtle extra-musical connotations, leading to the idea of a discreet dissidence, Olah integrates a popular carol, but, given the political-ideological context, he permanently camouflages it, through modern compositional means, and Dediu constructs his own music starting from fragments of Brahms' music, thus highlighting the organicity of the German composer's creation.
musical quotation, musical allusion, Anatol Vieru, Tiberiu Olah, Dan Dediu.
Syntax and Piano Structures in Sonata IV – Rapsodia in3 episodi per Pianoforte Op. 28 No. 1 by Constantin Silvestri
Sonata IV – Rapsodia in 3 episodi per Pianoforte Op. 28 No. 1 is a significant work by Constantin Silvestri that has not been the subject of musicological or interpretative analysis. This study aims to offer a model for text processing in a specific interpretative key, for this work. Constantin Silvestri's compositional language skillfully merges the structural aspects of musical thought with the piano topography and its associated techniques. A convincing performance can only be achieved by clarifying the theoretical elements embedded in the text. The argumentative framework highlights piano writing easily integrated into mental instrumental patterns while proposing advanced mnemonic assimilation schemes based on a thorough understanding of Silvestri's syntactical nuances. Essentially, theorizations across various identifiable coordinates in his writing serve as foundations for developing nuanced interpretative versions, aiding in deciphering the meanings behind the unique organization of musical symbols and their expressive intent. We hope the insights uncovered will enhance the appeal of this opus within both Romanian and universal solo piano repertoires.
syntax, pattern, technical, mnemonic device, expression.
Cultural and artistic relevance in the Spanish post-civil war context
This paper explores various aspects of Spanish cultural potential and the ways in which musicians evolved – or failed to evolve – within a precarious historical context (1939-1945). The cultural panorama presented here reflects a diversity of ideals, concerns, and artistic convictions held by intellectuals and artists operating under a general sense of desolation and despair. The path they embarked upon proved to be a difficult one. Proponents of new musical transformations adopted languages and ideologies that departed significantly from traditional normm. Their interest turned towards the achievements of European and American composers, with particular attention to recent innovations such as electronic and electroacoustic music, instrumental theatre, and contemporary opera. This journey often led to either physical exile or internal (psychological) withdrawal. In terms of music, there was a noticeable return to the aesthetic of the national school, preceding the free modernist expression attempted by the Generation of 1927 – a generation largely silenced and obscured by the passage of time. Consequently, Spain endured a strong cultural colonization by German- Russian symphonism, particularly in terms of national musical schools and Romantic creations, which were still largely unexplored by Spanish musicians at the time.
Spanish music, Generation of 1927, symphony, chamber music
The current investigation addresses several pivotal inquiries: in which trajectories ought musicological exploration be pursued to authentically encapsulate the oeuvre of a multifaceted artist? What methodological frameworks are requisite to penetrate the fundamental artistic and intellectual phenomena that characterize his legacy? To what degree do contemporary sociocultural dynamics influence the individual under scrutiny? Moreover, can the most rigorous and comprehensive understandings be attained by a solitary scholar, who is tasked with navigating an exceptionally expansive cultural milieu, or is a collaborative methodology, wherein specialists impart their expertise within discrete domains, more advantageous? Although these inquiries can be examined within a broad theoretical context, it is ultimately more fruitful to pursue specific answers. Consequently, this study conducts a case analysis of the most crucial aspects of the life and oeuvre of the eminent Czech composer, Leoš Janáček.
vision, work, motif, folklore, philosophy
On the Sunday Axion and on The Athonite Axionar
A valuable volume of psaltic music is about to be printed soon. It is a new collection of Axions, elaborated in the “St. Gheorghe” Romanian cell - Kapsala in the Holy Mountain. The collection contains works by older (19th century) or contemporary Greek composers. Most of the Greek axions belong to an Athonite monk who wished to remain anonymous and who entrusted Father Gheorghe from the “St. Gheorghe - Livadogheni” Romanian cell on Holy Mount Athos with a valuable collection of personal axions, to be adapted and printed. It is so that these axions are now being printed for the first time directly in Romanian. These anonymous compositions are a pleasant surprise by their carefully maintained balance between originality and classic features, which is not at all easy to achieve. This important collection of Axions will be the subject of this article, through a historical presentation of the genre of axion and the meaning and importance of this genre in the liturgical framework of the Orthodox Liturgy.
Copyright (c) 2024 ARTES. JOURNAL OF MUSICOLOGY https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Manuscript 110 from the “Dumitru Stăniloae” Ecumenical Library of the Metropolitan Church of Moldavia and Bukovina in Iași
The aim of the present work is to study the repertoire and to discover the possible musical sources used by the copyist to write Ms. 110, starting from its cataloguing. The codex uses Greek (predominantly) and Romanian languages and chrysanthine notation. The copyists (at least two) of the manuscript are anonymous, of Romanian origin. The codex was originally thought of as a collection of cheroubika-koinonika psaltic repertoire, but was later supplemented by another copyist with the festal axions in Romanian translated by Makarios the Hieromonk and prosomia in Greek. The repertoire in Greek includes a series of cheroubika and koinonika for Sundays and great holidays all over the year. The authors are Greek classical composers: Petros Lampadarios, Daniil Protopsaltis, Ioannis Protopsaltis, Chourmouzios Chartophylakos, Gregorios Protopsaltis, Petros Byzantios. The source of the Greek repertoire is most likely the set of volumes entitled Tαμείον Ανθολογίας / The Treasury of Anthology, which certainly represents one of the main musical collections through which the Chrysantine reform was implemented in the Hellenic area. The inclusion of the festal axions (of the great holidays of the year) in the manuscript is proof of the circulation and importance of this category of chants in the Romanian Principalities, after the introduction of the Chrysantine Reform through the significant contribution of their author, Makarios the Hieromonk.
Stylistic Reflections on Soprano Maria Slătinaru Nistor's Vocal Interpretation of the Lieder by Robert Schumann and Richard Wagner
The article aims to highlight the artistic personality of soprano Maria Slătinaru Nistor, born in Iași on May 25, 1938. A student of the distinguished opera and lied professor and soloist Arta Florescu, Maria Slătinaru Nistor shone on the world's greatest lyrical stages, both in Italian repertoire (as an incomparable Leonora in Verdi's Il Trovatore, earning accolades from audiences and music critics in Verdi's Aida, later portraying an impetuous and striking Floria Tosca in Puccini's opera, a role played over 250 times, as well as taking on Mimi in La Bohème, Liu and Turandot in Puccini's eponymous opera, La Wally in Catalani's opera, and Gioconda in Ponchielli's creation) and in German repertoire, interpreting roles in operas like The Flying Dutchman, Lohengrin and Die Walküre by Wagner with distinguished elegance. Additionally, the study aims to highlight the stylistic and vocal differences in Mrs. Slătinaru Nistor's art by delving into the world of German vocal miniatures, based on the Electrecord recordings for Robert Schumann's op. 42 Frauenliebe und leben (orchestrated by Theodor Rogalski) and Richard Wagner's Five Songs on Verses by Mathilde Wesendonck (orchestrated by Felix Mottl). The Electrecord recordings forming the basis of the analysis were performed by soprano Maria Slătinaru Nistor in collaboration with the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation's Studio Orchestra, conducted by Carol Litvin, in 1981. This project dates back to the peak of the distinguished performer and professor's creative activity, whose artistic destiny began in Iași.
Opera Singing Models in the Second Half of the 20th Century. Leontyne Price and Maria Slătinaru-Nistor
Considering that one of the artists with an exceptional national and international career, Maria Slătinaru-Nistor, celebrates her 85th birthday this year, we intend to celebrate this event in a special way, by reminding the already known biography or singing career information and at the same time by focusing on her opera singing career through a comparative approach with the distinguished figure of another contemporary singer, Leontyne Price, in a commentary on a representative score from the verismo repertoire, namely Floria Tosca’s aria in Act II (Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca). Therefore, in this paper we will sketch the portraits of the two sopranos, Leontyne Price and Maria Slătinaru-Nistor, in order to identify similarities and differences in their approach to the aria in question, with the aim of demonstrating one particular critical approach, according to which Maria Slătinaru-Nistor’s artistic personality is a natural continuation of Leontyne Price’s.
Sabin Pautza, 80 years of life: “We understand from music what we are”
Sabin Pautza turned 80 on February 8, 2023. Known to the Romanian musical world, and not only, through his stylistically diverse works, the musician dedicated his life especially to composition. His creation is included on vinyl discs and CDs, it has tempted various performers who are passionate about academic music, as well as entertainment music, and has been approached musicologically over time, in studies, such as those signed by: Liliana Gherman (1978 - Cantata „Columne” pentru cor și orchestră pe versuri de Vasile Filip [Cantata "Columne" for choir and orchestra with lyrics by Vasile Filip]), Anca Sîrbu (2012 - Syntaxes and Sonorous Systems in Five Pieces for Orchestra by Sabin Pautza), Gheorghe Duțică (2012 - Archetypal Polysemies in Jocuri II by Sabin Pautza), Ciprian Ion (2019 - „Canti prophani” de Sabin Pautza: joaca inocentă a copiilor ilustrată printr-un joc componistic elaborat [“Canti prophani” by Sabin Pautza: the innocent play of children illustrated through an elaborate compositional game]), Daniel Paicu (2021 - Stylistic and interpretative issues in Two preludes for clarinet and piano by Sabin Păutza). The present research aims to reveal nuances of the musician's personality, found in his works, his musical dialogues, his ways of communication, all this starting from the interview he gave me in 2020. Music is art, and Sabin Pautza believes that art is the one who brings him closer to people.
Being part of the group of Transylvanian and Banat musicians who started their activity in Iasi, Sabin Pautza stood out as a complex, original, spectacular personality. The “engine” of his creativity was innovation – as a teacher at the “George Enescu” Conservatory, conductor and composer. A powerful “engine”, assembled from the “model pieces” of the whole European musical culture and of the young but original North American musical culture. Sabin Pautza has attracted students with his original, direct, integrative way of teaching knowledge in the harmony course, bringing together academic and pop-rock-jazz works; he founded one of the most valuable choral ensembles in the country – Animosi –, he has adapted his culture and inventiveness to an astonishing variety of compositional techniques and genres: the choral piece in classical and modern styles, the light music song, the musical, the quartet, the concerto, the symphony. In his youth, he enjoyed public success, the appreciation of the musical profession (including the Romanian Academy Prize), and had his works published on record. His creative adaptation allowed him to establish himself as composer and conductor of the Plainfield Philharmonic, USA. He acclimatized to the American musical environment also as a teacher, orchestrator, conductor. Sabin Pautza has succeeded in transposing famous poems by Mihai Eminescu into music, and his pieces for choir are among the Romanian masterpieces. His music, regardless of genre, has passed all the tests of time with flying colours and is still listened to today with surprise, interest and delight.
The Oriental classical music in the Romanian Principalities during the time of Dimitrie Cantemir. The tanbûr on the Romanian territory
The Oriental classical music represents a cultured music specific to the Oriental area and encountered at the Court of different political rulers. It appears as a “salon” music at the princely and noble Courts and it is intended for the political and social elite. Its emergence and development corresponds to the Western symphonic music. In the Romanian Principalities the Oriental classical music – Ottoman and Persian – appears as guided by the same coordinates, being taken from Constantinople by the Romanian political rulers. Thus, it represents not just another kind of music which can be listened at the princely court on special occasions, but also a manifesto of political power. The connection between this type of music, Dimitrie Cantemir and the Romanian Principalities resides in the fact that the Moldavian ruler and writer has had a very important role in the development of Ottoman classical music in a time when it was emerging from Persian ‘guardianship’. Dimitrie Cantemir was not only an excellent performer of the tanbûr, one of the instruments specific to this music, but also a composer, collector and a theoretician of Oriental classical music. Through the present material, we will try to show how the Oriental classical music developed in the Romanian Principalities and to observe the presence, circulation and importance of the tanbûr in these territories.
Prince Dimitrie Cantemir remains in international historiography a prominent promoter of universal culture, generating specialized research on his works. Humanist by polymath profile, Cantemir ranks in the panoply of illustrious personalities in human history, who contributed to the evolution of human culture through relevant studies in various scientific fields of his time. He becomes one of the masters of oriental musical art, writes a treatise on theory with the help of which his disciples and later those interested in this field can deepen their knowledge. To the same end, he invents a graphic system of musical writing used in the notation of his own compositions, those of some of his contemporaries and predecessors. He crowned this work with a collection of sound creations specific to the music of the cult of the time. With his treatise on music and the collection appended to it, the Moldavian prince succeeded in establishing himself in a cultural space prolific in professionals in the art of sound. This personal development projected him as a guarantor of quality. It is for this reason that works attributed to him appeared after his departure from Constantinople, a phenomenon that was also common some time after his death. For this reason, works appear after his departure from Constantinople, which are attributed to him, a phenomenon also found some time after his death. Researchers in various branches of science, such as geography, political science, musicology, history, history, philosophy and so on, continue to seek to delve deeper into the works of Cantemius, and this is still a promising field of work.
Report on teaching deformities in the study of the discipline of Musical Forms
Do composers produce cells, figures, motifs, or periods? Does the concept of form only mean a string of capital letters in music? How interested can a singer be in the form of instrumental music? What could the word composition mean after all? And why would compositional analysis be different from simple form analysis? There are just as many questions that produce logical and legitimate anxiety. And all this because of the form of music which is synonymous with the form of water. With only one difference: water is liquid and formless, and music’s only sense of form is acoustic and invisible. Because the form of music cannot be and is not musical. The discipline of musical forms teaches nothing about form, only compositional scheme. Which has nothing to do with music. Do composers produce articulations or perhaps ideas, melodies, meanings, and themes? Which in turn can assume various compositional schemes. After so many questions, it would be appropriate to formulate a final query: given so many distortions, what exactly does the discipline Analyses of musical forms teach students?
Experimental perspectives on artificial intelligence in music composition
The article is a musicological treatment of new opportunities to analyse, research, create music, etc., from the perspective of new discoveries and experiments that take place today in the virtual world, exposed in open access sources. The aim of the article is to explore the process of the dynamic evolution of artificial intelligence and its impact on academic music. Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, different companies worked on developing various versions of artificial intelligence technologies capable of composing music. One of the most important start-ups in the field of creating musical compositions with the help of artificial intelligence is Aiva Technologies. Its algorithms incorporate the concepts of music theory through researching and processing existing musical works. Even though some of the works created by Aiva have been used in films and marketing, nevertheless the musical compositions created by multifaceted aspect that encompasses authors reflect more accurately the inner feelings of the human being, aesthetic references, personal visions, the many aspects of the human universe, the strong point being inspiration, as a primary determinant of the artist. Traditional musical instruments remain an important support in the field of musical art, as they possess specific sounds and unique qualities, fully explored in the interpretative process, which is an important field that is equally integrated in the area of the definition of creativity. Attempting to create these sounds and effects with the help of artificial intelligence is a challenge in achieving perfect performances that could be evaluated at the same level as human ones. Therefore, predictions about the possibility of equalizing their value remain questionable, as the two require different criteria for analysis.
Illusions of Auditory Reception and Paradoxes of Perception – Psychoacoustic EffectsGenerated by Sounds
Auditory illusions and perception paradoxes were discovered a few centuries ago and have continued to be identified to this day through complex analyses. Whether intentionally or accidentally, some sound illusions are present in notable works by established musicians. These brain processes are caused by the paradoxes of musical perception, which are determined by the frequency of sounds and their spatial location. The auditory presence of illusions confirms the existence of cerebral mechanisms that alter the reception and perception of sound during the decoding process. The spatial component of music and the overlapping of sound planes promote the creation of musical chimeras. Studying auditory illusions and paradoxes contributes to understanding the perceptive and cognitive processes of decoding sound impulses, techniques for analysing and synthesizing sound, and the development of electroacoustic instruments. The present research outlines three auditory illusions: Il Terzo suono di Tartini (Tartini's Third Sound), the Shepard Scale, and the Mysterious Melody. The auditory illusion named Il Terzo suono di Tartini represents the discovery of Giuseppe Tartini, the Italian violinist, composer, educator, theorist, and philosopher. The illusion of an infinite musical scale, the Shepard Scale, is named after American psychologist and cognitive researcher Roger Shepard. The psychoacoustic illusion named the Mysterious Melody was discovered and studied by one of the best-known researchers in music psychology Diana Deutsch.
Psychological Factors of Preference for Academic Music
The willingness to listen to a new musical work is an important element for the artistic culture development, especially during school years. This topic has been at the center of concerns of specialists both in the field of education and in that of psychology. Thus, in the 90s, Albert LeBlanc scientifically demonstrated the theory of musical openness, using a group of 2262 subjects, measuring exactly how receptivity to an unfamiliar work depends on age and musical style. Thus, he highlighted that the highest level of openness is found before the age of 8 and in young adults, while the lowest level is found in adolescence and old age. The rise and fall of musical openness has been shown for fragments of academic music, jazz and rock. His discoveries were the starting point for a multitude of experiments that have extended to the present day, confirming and customizing LeBlanc’s theory, taking into account the socio-cultural environment, musical experience, educational strategies and other elements of musical discourse. The present analysis represents a review of the most important studies carried out in this research direction. The interpretation of the results sheds light on a series of educational implications, as well as ways to promote academic musical performances among young people.
Psychological typologies and musical semantics in the Iris devoilée [Iris Unveiled] concerted suite by Qigang Chen
The Concerted Suite Iris devoilée, for grand orchestra, three female voices and three traditional instruments, is one of the reference musical creations of the Chinese composer Qigang Chen, an illustrious student of Olivier Messiaen in Paris and one of the most important exponents of the extra-contemporary european. “Iris’ scarf” – an allegorical nickname for the rainbow - slips little by little from the mysterious face of one and the same woman (imaginary character or poetic pseudonym circulated in the 17th-18th centuries), revealing the fullness of the psychological diversity induced of the nine moods, nine facets of femininity (1. Ingenious, 2. Chaste, 3. Libertine, 4. Sensitive, 5. Tender, 6. Jealous, 7. Melancholic, 8.Hysterical and 9. Voluptuous) captured in an exceptional range of expressions andsound nuances. From this perspective, the present study proposes, on the one hand, theidentification of the compositional means (of writing styles) through which QigangChen manages to achieve the ideal synthesis between the musical tradition of WesternEurope and the multi-millenary oriental musical tradition of his country of origin(China), and, on the other hand, the exploration of musical semantics (of thispolychromatic mosaic of impressions, temperaments, attitudes, etc.) within thestructurality and timbrality of sound discourse.
The relationship of Iași composers with the avant-garde: Anton Zeman, Vasile Spătărelu, Sabin Pautza, Viorel Munteanu, Cristian Misievici
The European and Romanian musical avant-garde from the 1950s to the 1970s is being reconsidered from a theoretical and compositional point of view, a phenomenon, which determines me to propose a topic in this thematic area. It is well-known that the renewal of the sonorous art in Iași, a traditional Romanian cultural centre, was owed to a group of composers educated at the “Ciprian Porumbescu” Conservatoire in Bucharest, who became professors, creative artists in Iași – Anton Zeman (1937-1996), Vasile Spătărelu (1938-2006), Sabin Pautza (1943), to the same extent to the first graduates of the Iași composition class: Viorel Munteanu (1944) and Cristian Misievici (1953-2020). Maintaining a constant relationship with the central movement of national creation and directly with languages promoted by the European avant-garde composers, the Iași musicians capitalised individually on the new sonorous imagery, on the new types of writing: the serially or mathematically organised dodecaphony, textural stratification, the insertion of indeterminacy and of the sonorous effects associates with the new semiography. This study marks out various compositional behaviours in relation to the precepts of the avant-garde: the gradual assimilation of the new language and its development in ever more elaborate formats (Anton Zeman); preferential choices, censored by intuitive musicality (Vasile Spătărelu), an intense avant-gardist experiment left for creative visions with more appeal to the public (Sabin Pautza); an oasis of radical renewal at the centre of a modern synthetic creation (Viorel Munteanu); an authentic and consistent avant-gardist manifestation, perfect compatibility with the new compositional design (Cristian Misievici).
Manifestations of Stylistic Dichotomy in the Harmony of 20th Century Music: General Tendencies andSeveral Case Studies
This paper aims to provide an analytical insight into two interrelated topics, each of which is interesting in its own right. The first of them is dichotomy in music, namely, the various manifestations of binarity – that is, the juxtaposition of two different spheres of expression, either simultaneously, in counterpoint, or in succession. The second aspect targeted will be the presentation of the main trends, important concepts or compositional techniques used in the creation of such dichotomies, based on some relevant musical examples studied.
The Book of Honor of the Iași Conservatory Returned Home!
The Iași Conservatory Book of Honor was initiated in 1926, when the headmaster of the institution was the cello teacher Nicolae Theodorescu (between 1924-1930). I tried to describe the adventure of this document of great importance for the history of Iaşi culture, in the following episodes: personalities and events mentioned in the Book; the disappearance of the Book from the Conservatory archive in 1950, under circumstances still unclear; rediscovery and presence in D. Grumuzescu's collection; returning to the patrimony of the “George Enescu” Art University of Iasi. This text is an extension of the one published in “Filarmonica Magazine”, in April 2015.
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Values of neo-protestant choral works in Romania
Borne from the relevant and efficient expression in the context of contemporary culture, neo-protestant choral spirituality uses a diversified and meaningful language. From the very beginning of the existence of neo-protestant cults on the territory of our country, the establishment of a liturgical repertoire intended for common intonation or by various choral or vocal-instrumental bands has been one of the primordial preoccupations. Along with choral creations translated from the universal literature, there is a significant number of original works created by Romanian composers within the religious services. Due to extremely diverse themes and extrovert character, neo-protestant choral music includes different styles specific to the great tradition of classical, romantic or modern music as well as influences from the extra-European sphere. The text of these creations, which has biblical inspiration or created by the composer, is a means of great diversification in the reproduction of the sound material. Composers and arrangers with high quality music training and a profound understanding of biblical truths, through sound art wanted to contribute to the enrichment of contemporary neo-protestant choral music repertoire, leaving posterity a significant amount of valuable choral pages as inheritance.
The Balkan tradition in contemporary jazz. Anatoly Vapirov
The folkloric character of the beginnings of jazz has been established by all researchers of American classical music. The African-Americans brought as slaves onto the territory of North America, the European émigrés tied to their own folkloric repertoire, the songs in the musical revues on Broadway turned national successes – can be considered the first three waves to have fundamentally influenced the history of jazz music. Preserving the classical and modern manner of improvisation and arrangement has not been a solution for authentic jazz musicians, permanently preoccupied with renewing their mode of expression. As it happened in the academic genres, the effect of experiments was mostly to draw the public away, as its capacity of understanding and empathizing with the new musical “products” (especially those in the “free” stylistic area) were discouraging. The areas which also had something original to say in the field of jazz remained the traditional, archaic cultures in Eastern Europe, Asia, the Orient. Compared to folkloric works from very distant areas, the musical culture of the Balkans bears the advantage of diversity, the ease of reception of melodies, rhythms and instrumental sonority. One of the most important architects of ethno-jazz is Anatoly Vapirov. A classically-trained musician, an author of concerts, stage music and soundtracks, a consummate connoisseur of the classical mode of improvisation as a saxophone and clarinet player, Anatoly Vapirov has dedicated decades of his life to researching the archaic musical culture of the Balkans, which he translated into the dual academic-jazz language, in the hypostases of pre-determined scored works and of improvised works – either as a soloist, in combos or big bands. This study focuses on highlighting the language techniques, emphasizing the aesthetic-artistic qualities of the music signed Anatoly Vapirov.