Between Two Worlds: Approaching Balkan
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Jovana Backović Between two worlds: Approaching Balkan Oral Music Tradition through the use of Technology as a Compositional and Performing Medium A Thesis presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Music University of East Anglia April 2014 1 This copy of the thesis has been supplied on condition that anyone who consults it is understood to recognize that its copyright rest with the author and that use of any information derived there from must be in accordance with current UK copyright law. In addition, any quotation or extract must include full attribution. 2 Table of Contents Preliminaries........................................................................... 3 Abstract............................................................................................................... 5 Acknowledgements……………………………………………………….................. 6 List of figures....................................................................................................... 7 List of plates........................................................................................................ 7 DVD content/compositions/song examples......................................................... 9 Notes on transliteration and pronunciation.......................................................... 9 I Introduction............................................................................. 10 II The Balkans............................................................................. 24 2.1 The Balkans as cultural sphere ‘in between’ – a construct or reality?.......... 24 2.2 Ideologies and questions of terminology: Balkans or Southeastern Europe................................................................................................................ 27 2.3 Fusion of ‘East’ and ‘West’: Serbian music from a historical perspective..... 36 2.4 Serbian musical identity and European context ........................................... 42 2.5 Towards ethnogeomusicology of the Balkans............................................... 48 III Oral tradition........................................................................... 52 3.1 Primary orality …........................................................................................... 52 3.2 Secondary orality – from notation to sound recording.................................. 58 3.3 Oral tradition and the Voice – contemporary contexts.................................. 65 3 IV Methodology and analysis..................................................... 70 4.1 Composition and improvisation..................................................................... 70 4.2 Musical structuring and the sound processes in the short works................. 73 4.3 The Balkanites – structure and processes.................................................... 82 4.4 Micro and macro-form of The Balkanites...................................................... 87 4.5 Vocal improvisation as a compositional technique........................................ 96 4.6 Perceiving musical time – density of music activity....................................... 99 4.7 Types of music narration: principles of music translated into structure......... 102 V Conclusion: Between two worlds: imagining identity...............................108 Appendix I................................................................................115 Appendix II...............................................................................121 Literature..................................................................................128 4 Jovana Backović – Between two worlds: Approaching Balkan oral tradition through the use of technology as compositional and performance medium Abstract This text explores the problems of interpreting musical identity, meaning, and socio- cultural value of a compositional work influenced by two traditions with different values: the modernist tradition based on Western European classical heritage, and the oral tradition of the Balkans. It also follows the process of transformation and re- creation of the author's musical language: from classical, notation-oriented to a more intuitive, improvisational and live-performance based. Through detailing some of the experiences of the author as a composer and a performer, it also discusses some observations on the ways in which this discrepancy between two traditions and practices has affected and still influences those creative practices in Serbia and the former Yugoslavia that relate to traditional music and its derivations. By identifying musical performance within certain socio-cultural contexts this dichotomy can be highlighted. As a result, a substantial part of this text focuses on investigating the capacity of a technologically assisted composition and performance practice to overcome this issue. Technology is here perceived not only as an instrument for recording, improvising, composing and performing but also as a medium which communicates musical value. In this study, the oral tradition from the Balkans was approached not only as a purely acoustic phenomenon, but it also included a raised awareness of the nature of the continuous fusion of various cultures in the region, as well as existing cultural and religious antagonisms. This study investigates the problems of constructing musical identity as well as the meaning of an author’s creative practice in relation to the socio-cultural environment of its origin, whilst observing its reception by audiences outside the Balkan region. Socio-cultural environments are established through exploring the writings of the authors that depict the Balkans historical, cultural and musical spheres in relation to other cultural practices and influences. 5 Acknowledgments This dissertation is a result of research that spanned over the last five years. During that time, the importance of residing outside the Balkan region while researching and, later, writing has proved invaluable in discovering different viewpoints to my work and the region that has influenced it. Over this period of time I have greatly benefited from contacts with many persons, not only musicians and my supervisors, but people from all over the world who had shared with me their impressions of my performances and my music. Every musician that I talked to about the perception of Balkan traditional music had a little impact on this research, and my perception and ways of thinking has been challenged continuously, which has been the most beneficial to my approach to issues addressed here. Several people helped me and encouraged my work and made considerable intellectual contributions. At the very start of this research, the valuable criticisms, patience and understanding provided by Dr. Simon Waters, Dr. Nicholas Brown and Dr. Jonathan Impett significantly helped me to question and rethink my own approach to music. As for the Balkan history and the issues related to former Yugoslavian countries the invaluable support came from Dr. Cathie Carmichael, whose suggestions helped me to discover and question the inherited modes of thinking and opinions that I had brought to this research without being aware of. Few persons helped me to obtain sonic materials, which significantly influenced some of my music ideas and consequently the body of work submitted here. In particular Marija Vitas, ethnomusicologist and editor of the World Music Magazine in Serbia, who generously allowed me to use field recordings from her collection as a base for most of the compositions that constitute this research. I was also very fortunate to meet and interview storyteller and writer Jelena Čurčić, whose contemporary approach to practice of oral tradition greatly helped me to understand and formulate my own motivations as an author. 6 I would like to dedicate this work to people who are the reason for me being a musician before anything else: the audience. List of figures 1. Convergence of ideological and technical approach 2. Karanfile cveće moje (transcribed by) Jovana Backović 3. Penceresi Yola Karşı (transcribed by) Jovana Backović 4. Simbil cveće (transcribed by) Jovana Backović 5. Introduction motif (transcribed by) Jovana Backović) 6. Approximate representation of Part a motif (transcribed by) Jovana Backović 7. Part f - rhythmical structure of 15/8 (transcribed by) Jovana Backović 8. Rhythmical structure of 15/8 reinterpreted (transcribed by) Jovana Backović 9. Coda – approx. notation (transcribed by) Jovana Backović 10. Coda – main motif (transcribed by) Jovana Backović 11. Contrast and conformity of musical material 12. Creating mental representation 13. Principles of music narration translated into activity's density 14. Micro-form and density of music activity 15. The Balkanites Approx. representation of the graphic score used for performance List of plates 1. Nigredo 2. Ismail I 3. Ismail II 4. Improvisation: excerpt 5. Psalm 6. Echoes 7 7. Abstract 8. The Balkanites 9. APC40, Ableton Live Controller DVD content/compositions 1. Nigredo 2. Ismail I 3. Ismail II 4. Improvisation: excerpt 5. Psalm 6. Echoes 7. Abstract 8. Miniature 9. The Balkanites DVD content/songs examples 1. Aj ruse kose curo imaš - performed by Beogradska čargija 2. Üsküdara gideriken - performed by Safiye Ayla 3. Αпo Ξξno Τoпo - performed by Γλykξpia 4. Talama Ashku Gharami - performed by Syrian Munshids 5. Makedonsko devojče - ( cyr. Македонско девојче) performed by Kiril Mančevski, Violeta Tomova 6. Josip Slavenski - Sinfonia Orienta (Religiophonia) - Pagans, Hebrews, Buddhists performed