Musical Culture of Europe MUSI 3721Y University of Lethbridge, Calgary Campus John Anderson

Music and History Urbanization was on the increase during this period “ The folk ” represented an earlier, more innocent era viewed through the fuzzy light of nostalgia by displaced city dwellers. In the city, there was an increasing tendency toward specialization of musicians Hereditary musical castes (Gypsies) and ascribed outsiders (Jewish musicians) were assigned the low status task of providing entertainment music to order

National Styles More the result of politics than of a consistent and unified history, “ national music ” may combine disparate styles and repertoires from different parts of a country, symbolizing a modern kind of unity

Concerts and the Virtuoso Another legacy of the 19 th century was the rise of virtuosity The virtuoso became a celebrity for whom normal social mores were suspended In many ways, the “ Great Artist ” was as much of a marginal person as the professional specialist, for whom normal mores were also relaxed They were troublemakers, attractive lovers, and had the freedom to move around

Individual and Society The idealized form of folk music is an aesthetic metaphor for community In art music, the string quartet and chamber ensemble fill a similar role – egalitarian – in contrast to the symphony orchestra with its “ urban ” hierarchical structure and division of labor

Instruments Compare the piano with the violin The piano is the product of an industrial age which, during the colonial era in particular, became a symbol of the hegemony of European music The violin is now considered “ indigenous ” in many parts of the world, e.g., South India

The Eurovision Song Contest as a Metaphor for Modern Europe The contest receives continent-wide coverage, although it includes some countries (such as Turkey, Egypt, Cyprus, and Israel) that are not European Many different styles are offered, but the winner is always the blandest, most compromised sound, something felt to be generically “ European ”

Discussion Questions How can we compare a multicultural urban musical environment such as Vancouver, Toronto, or Montreal to Vienna? What can we classify as the folk music of our country, and how have nationalist composers incorporated it into their compositions? What types of music might we find in our society which are communal and egalitarian, as are folk music types of Europe?