THE MUSICAL CULTURE OF EUROPE

How does music communicate ideas of national identity?

We will examine European folk music to discover the many ways it can express nationalist styles

Vienna, with its rich history and variety of styles, will serve as our focal point

There are three views of Viennese music

1. History contains labels for musical styles that are distinctively Viennese

Viennese music symbolizes the unbroken and persistent history of the city

2. Vienna has a tendency to attract outsiders

3. Vienna forms a sort of cultural backdrop that permits unexpected, even jarring, juxtapositions

Spanish Work Song “La Trilla” Textbook CD 2, track 19

“Das Wiener Fiakerlied” (“The Viennese Coachman’s Song”), Textbook CD 2, track 20

Europe is multicultural

Individuals tend to identify with the culture of the region in which they live

The musical areas of Europe also result from groups of people who share a way of life and a distinctive music

The music of European Roma and Sinti is a process of negotiation between the community and the culture of which it is a part

“Khused” (Chassidic Dance) Textbook CD 2, track 21

Modern European unity is rooted in old, nationalist identities

There is a belief that the music of the past is related to the music of the present

Folk music can reveal history in both musical and political ways

“The Owl Woman’s Ballad,” Textbook CD 2, track 22

The Hungarian construction of history out of folk-song style has clear nationalistic implications

Béla Bartók: “Lullaby” and “Dance from Maramoros,” Textbook CD 2, track 23

The idea of “folk music” emerges in the late 18th century

European ideas about music have a great deal to do with shared historical experiences

This type of music is referred to as “folk music”

“Black Is,” Textbook CD 2, track 24

Folk music that accompanies ritual or that embodies spiritual themes is overwhelmingly religious in many communities

Concerts have become a form of musical ritual particularly suited to modern Europe

Concerts inevitably shift a certain degree of attention to the performer

“Steirischer mit Gestanzln” (“Dance from Styria”) Textbook CD 3, track 1

Musical instruments are a common way to classify music

Epic Song from Montenegro: “Tzarina Milica und Duke Vladeta,” Textbook CD 3, track 2

When Instruments Tell Stories

Musical instruments are symbols of unity and distinctiveness

Music lives in tension with the social structure of European culture

Key Concepts

Folk music has been seen as a means of revealing history

“Folk music” was an eighteenth-century concept

Urbanization was on the increase during this period

National styles are more the result of politics than of a consistent style of music

Another legacy of the 19th century was the rise of virtuosity

The idealized form of folk music is an aesthetic metaphor for community

Compare the piano with the violin

The Eurovision Song Contest is a metaphor for modern Europe

Summary

European music is a complex combination of different musical styles, created by many different peoples

Music is used by various European countries as a mean of defining themselves and creating a unified culture

The story of Europe’s music is closely related to its history

European folk music is often associated with a specific cultural group or regional area

Urbanization introduced a wider variety of music and musical instruments

The formal concert developed as the primary way of hearing music

The investion of new instruments—notably the piano—revolutionized how music was performed

The Eurovision Song Contest underscores the diversity in European music today

Is there such a thing as Canadian music?

What types of music might we find in our society that are communal and egalitarian, like certain types of European folk music?