Branding Brussels Musically: Cosmopolitanism and Nationalism in the Interwar Years
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BRANDING BRUSSELS MUSICALLY: COSMOPOLITANISM AND NATIONALISM IN THE INTERWAR YEARS Catherine A. Hughes A dissertation submitted to the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Music. Chapel Hill 2015 Approved by: Annegret Fauser Mark Evan Bonds Valérie Dufour John L. Nádas Chérie Rivers Ndaliko © 2015 Catherine A. Hughes ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii ABSTRACT Catherine A. Hughes: Branding Brussels Musically: Cosmopolitanism and Nationalism in the Interwar Years (Under the direction of Annegret Fauser) In Belgium, constructions of musical life in Brussels between the World Wars varied widely: some viewed the city as a major musical center, and others framed the city as a peripheral space to its larger neighbors. Both views, however, based the city’s identity on an intense interest in new foreign music, with works by Belgian composers taking a secondary importance. This modern and cosmopolitan concept of cultural achievement offered an alternative to the more traditional model of national identity as being built solely on creations by native artists sharing local traditions. Such a model eluded a country with competing ethnic groups: the Francophone Walloons in the south and the Flemish in the north. Openness to a wide variety of music became a hallmark of the capital’s cultural identity. As a result, the forces of Belgian cultural identity, patriotism, internationalism, interest in foreign culture, and conflicting views of modern music complicated the construction of Belgian cultural identity through music. By focusing on the work of the four central people in the network of organizers, patrons, and performers that sustained the art music culture in the Belgian capital, this dissertation challenges assumptions about construction of musical culture. Paul Collaer, Henry Le Bœuf, Corneil de Thoran, and Queen Elisabeth of the Belgians each responded to the cultural and political forces by supporting the newest in music and Belgian composers, drawing from both cosmopolitan and nationalist impulses in their organization of performances. This dissertation iii contributes to current discussions in musicology about processes of cross-cultural exchange, cultural appropriation, and cosmopolitanism. It also enriches current understanding of the roles of patrons, concert organizers, and institutional directors in the circulation of new music and the construction and conception of cohesive musical cultures. Finally, it offers a framework with which musicologists might consider local music identities in smaller European cultural centers that fostered cosmopolitan attitudes and established identities distinct from those of such dominant international cities as Paris, London, and Vienna. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Every stage of this project relied on the generous support of many individuals and institutions. I am particularly grateful to my advisor, Annegret Fauser. From the initial stages of developing my ideas through the final days of editing, she offered her unfailing encouragement as I developed my voice as a scholar. My committee members have all contributed their time, advice, and expertise. I am particularly grateful to Valérie Dufour. From our first meeting in Brussels in the summer of 2011, she has offered her ideas and perspective as a Belgian scholar. During my extended stay in Belgium, she included me in research groups, allowed me to attend her research seminars, and introduced me to an extensive network of scholars. Mark Evan Bonds’s probing questions and critical eye helped me develop my arguments and present them more articulately. John L. Nádas has supported me from the very beginning of my time in graduate school, advising my master’s thesis and making recommendations for archival work during my adventures in Europe. I am grateful to Chérie Rivers Ndaliko for joining my committee almost three years into the project, and for her invaluable perspective on issues of cultural and national identity. In addition, Felix Woerner and Brigid Cohen both worked with me in the early stages to refine my research questions. Malou Haine and Robert Wangermée were also very generous with their time and expertise, meeting with me during my first research trip to Brussels and offering invaluable advice. My research in Belgium and France would have been impossible without a fellowship from the Belgian American Educational Foundation, an Off-Campus Dissertation Research Fellowship from UNC’s Graduate School, the American Musicological Society’s M. Elizabeth v C. Bartlet Fund, the Pre-Dissertation Travel Award from UNC’s Center for Global Initiatives, and a Mellon Pre-Dissertation Research Fellowship from the Council for European Studies. My final year of writing was supported by the Caroline H. and Thomas S. Royster Dissertation Completion Fellowship, through UNC’s Royster Society of Fellows. I am indebted to the many archivists who helped me locate sources, answered questions, and took an active interest in my project. Marie Cornaz and Sandrine Thieffry at the music division of the Bibliothèque Royale de Belgique offered their expertise on the collections not only in their division, but also in other archives in Belgium. I am equally grateful for Véronique Wese’s help navigating the ins and outs of the royal library’s collection of periodicals. The staff at the Archives de la Ville de Bruxelles were welcoming and supportive, especially Frédéric Boquet. Veerle Soens at the archives of the Palais des Beaux-Arts helped me to access the extensive collection of the Société Philharmonique. Gustaaf Jannsens shared with me his intimate knowledge of the Archives du Palais Royal and the Belgian monarchy during my visits there. At the Archives de l’Art Contemporaine in Brussels, Véronique Cardon gave me access to rare documents and directed me to collections in the archives that I had not thought of exploring. Patricia Quaghebeur helped me locate sources concerning the Vlaamse Volkstooneel at KADOC, Documentatie-en Onderzoekscentrum voor Religie, Cultuur en Samenleving, Leuven. Olivia Wahnon de Olivera pointed me to sources in the Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles archives. I am also indebted to the staff at the music division of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. I would like to thank the staff of the music library at UNC-Chapel Hill, who have helped me track down sources and encouraged me throughout my time as a graduate student, particularly Bradshaw Lentz, Carrie Monnette, Diane Steinhaus, and Philip Vandermeer. vi Friends and colleagues have supported this project, by reading drafts, discussing ideas, and lending a friendly ear. In Brussels, Christopher Murray, Chikako Osako, and David Day offered feedback, advice, and friendship over many bowls of stew and glasses of Belgian beer. I am grateful to Jessica Waldoff for introducing me to musicology as an undergraduate, and for cheering me on through my time at UNC. My colleagues in Chapel Hill and further afield have enriched my seven years as a graduate student. Megan Eagan’s irrepressible optimism and enthusiasm for haikus, Laurie McManus’s advice and comradeship, and Chris Reali and Ryan Ebright’s friendship, formed over dusty documents at the Library of Congress during our summer as James W. Pruett Fellows, have seen me through the ups and downs of the program. I am also grateful to Gina Bombola, Briana Frieda, Ben Haas, Tim Miller, Patrizia Rubella, Mia Toothill, David VanderHamm, and Virginia Whealton, as well as the participants of the UNC music department dissertation colloquium. My many friends outside of the academy listened to me work through dissertation problems with patience and have also offered distractions when I needed them most. In North Carolina, Sara Ebright, Melissa Reali and Chelsea VanderHamm offered a friendly ear. My friends from Holy Cross have seen me through not only the dissertation, but also my BA and MA theses, particularly Christian Santillo, Joe Scolastico, and Caitlin Welch. Most importantly, I could not have completed this project without my family. My parents, Maude and Paul Hughes, have helped me through every moment of the last seven years; my brother David and my sister Margaret have celebrated each of my successes along the way. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES.........................................................................................................................xii LIST OF FIGURES......................................................................................................................xiii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS.......................................................................................................xiv INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1 Why Brussels? ....................................................................................................................3 Historical Context .............................................................................................................10 The Question of Musical Culture ......................................................................................18 Cosmopolitanism, Modernism, and Xenophilia ...............................................................21 Methodology and State of Research .................................................................................25 CHAPTER 1: HENRY LE BŒUF, KINGPIN OF NEW MUSIC, 1919–1928 ...........................31