Bridging Musicology and Composition: Te Global Signifcance of Bartók’s Method A Symposium and Festival eynote Speaker !rofessor Dr# $%szló Vikárius "irector of the Bartók Archi)e Budapest Hungary 12 to 14 August. 2010 Churchill College, Cambridge, England 1rganized by the Centre for Intercultural Musicology at Churchill College "r# Akin Euba. Director "r# Margit Ha3elleck and Dr# Philip Tompson, Symposium and Festi)al Co5directors Bridging Musicology and Composition: Te Global Signifcance of Bartók’s Method A Symposium and Festival (ckno3ledgement Te Committee of Management of the Centre for Intercultural Musicology at Churchill College gratefully ackno3ledges the generous fnancial contributions of the Uni)ersity of Pittsburgh and of Churchill College to the 2/+/ symposium and festi)al# It is very unlikely that we would ha)e been able to proceed with the e)ent without these contributions# 2n preparing for the e)ent I was assisted by a small committee at the Uni)ersity of Pittsburgh# T3o members of the committee, Dr# Phil Tompson and Dr# Margit Ha3elleck agreed to take over the running of the e)ent as co5directors# I am deeply grateful to both of them for relie)ing me of the burden of running the symposium and festi)al and for generously making their expertise a)ailable. 2 would like to thank Eric Riemer for his role in setting up the website and Dorothy Shallenberger for )arious forms of assistance with the preparations for the symposium and festi)al# 2 am very grateful to the C2M(CC Committee of Management for their support and their understanding of my tardiness at a particularly di:cult period. Tree members of the committee 9uth Da)is. Abiola Irele, and Tim Cribb deser)e special mention. not least of all for allo3ing me to bounce ideas of them# I ha)e not been able to visit Churchill College since 2//< and Tim Cribb has acted in numerous ways as C2M(CC’s liaison with the College. Abiola Irele generously made personal funds a)ailable when we contemplated hiring the West Road Concert Hall for a concert that was to feature Bartok’s Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion and although the plan was e)entually deemed infeasible, we are grateful for his generosity all the same. 2ntroduction Since we last met at Churchill College in August 2//<. se)eral interesting meetings ha)e taken place at other venues# In November 2//<. the Central Conser)atory of Music (CC1M) in BeiAing hosted another dialogue on the theme “(frica Meets China in Music” and in July 2//E the dialogue series moved to Bangalore, India for the third Africa Meets Asia meeting. hosted by the Indiranagar Music Society# Te frst dialogue symposium to be held outside Asia was on the theme “(frica Meets North America ?(M>(@C and was hosted by UC$( in Los Angeles in October 2//F# All the dialogue e)ents mentioned so far in)ol)ed Africa and another region of the world. but Africa need not be in)ol)ed at all# In fact the strength of the concept is confrmed when other regions meet bilaterally and this happened in 2//E when the CC1M hosted China Meets Finland. =hen the Centre for Intercultural Musicology was created in 2//G. we announced a series of e)ents covering a f)e5year period and culminating in 2/+/ in the Bartok symposium that is no3 taking place. (nother e)ent. Composition in Asia. which we scheduled for 2//F. was cancelled and we very much hope that it can be re-scheduled for the next f)e5year phase of the C2M(CC. 1ur sister organization. Centre for Intercultural Music Arts. pre)iously located in London. England. continues to thri)e in Spain and recently held its 1/th biennial symposium and festi)al at the Melila campus of the Uni)ersity of Granada# 4rom these e)ents. it is clear that the concepts of interculturalism in musicology and composition are gaining credence globally. and we look for3ard to the ways in which this symposium and festi)al will contribute additional momentum to this creati)e and intellectual movement# 2 Schedule of E)ents Tursday. August 12 F:H/ "iscussion with Justinian Tamusuza ( Musical Language of an African Contemporary Art5Music Composer: Infuence from a Changing Musical Habitus 2n my presentation I plan to discuss the infuences on my art5music compositional approach (my music compositional language/)oice) which I used in writing my frst string Kuartet Mu Kkubo Ery’Omusaalaba ?+FEE@# Te musical situation. and its demands that I 3as experiencing during the time of writing the string quartet. forms what I describe as my musical habitus. or the musical location I was situated in at that time. In general. it was the musical habitus I was in at that time, my cultural music background. the tonal music infuences I had gone through both in schools and at Makerere Uni)ersity. that determined the compositional voice which is manifested in the string quartet# I wrote the string quartet as one of the maAor reKuirements for a Masters Degree in 2/th5Century Music at the Lueen’s Uni)ersity of Belfast# Te work is in Ebitundu Bina (four movements): Ekitundu Ekisooka (First Movement@. Ekitundu Ekyokubiri (Second Movement@. Ekitundu Ekyokusatu (Tird Movement@. and Ekitundu Ekyokuna (Fourth Movement@# Te music compositional language/)oice I used in the string quartet was infuenced by my home background. my ethnic music culture/!anda Music (Bartok comes in here), 3estern music I learnt and practiced in schools. the Department of Music. Dance, and "rama. Makerere Uni)ersity. St# Augustine Choir. the Centenary Memorial Choir (C(C0MC*1@. and. and the western 2/th5century music practices I acKuired while studying at Belfast# Terefore, the infuence on my music compositional language that I used in the string quartet was dual in nature: the ethnic music. and western classical music infuences# Dustinian Tamusuza frst learnt Ganda music as a child from traditional musicians who used to play traditional musical instruments at his parents’ home in Kibisi# He frst learned formal music composition from Re)# Dr# Anthony Okelo at the department of Music. "ance, and Drama. Makerere Uni)ersity# He ser)ed as choir director and accompanist of St# Augustine Choir. and the Catholic Centenary Memorial Choir. C(C0MC*1# It is these t3o choirs for which he frst wrote and arranged music. 7amusuza studied contemporary art music composition with Ke)in Volans while at the Lueen’s Uni)ersity of Belfast and with Michael Pisaro, Jay Yim. and Allan Stout at >orth3estern Uni)ersity. Illinois. US(# He came to world prominence when his string Kuartet. featured on the Kronos Quartet album Pieces of A"ica. was frst on the Billboard Chart for both classical and ja&z music in US(. in 1FF,# 7amusuza has more than 2/ international publications which include music works. articles in both music journals. and encyclopedias. and C"s# He is professor of music in the department of Music. Dance, and Drama. at Makerere Uni)ersity# He ser)ed as head of department. and he teaches music composition. musicology. and performance. +/:H/ "iscussion with Roger Zahab Making the Violin Speak: From Script to Action Music for unaccompanied )iolin lays bare both the extent of a composer’s comprehensi)e skill O the conception of complex and ofen harmonically deri)ed music for an instrument originally made to play melodic lines as 3ell as hisJher understanding of 3 a performer’s physical task in reali&ing the notation O and the )iolinist’s comprehension of the musical 3ork and command of the instrument# Tis discussion 3ill center on e)ol)ing performance practice relating to )iolin music by D#S# Bach and Béla Bartók and also the infuence of these composers’ works on others# 9oger Zahab instigates complex relations through his acti)ities as composer. violinist. conductor. teacher and writer# *e has written much chamber. vocal and orchestral music in addition to work in dance, theater and video# Recently. recordings on Albany Records ha)e been made of levitation of pianos durin# a waltz played by pianist Eric Moe, and Eart%’s Ji# and Silence Orc%ids played by pianist Bennett Lerner# Tese recordings and others are also a)ailable on i7unes# Recent works include numerous commissions for soloists and small ensembles as well as O%io entelec%ron - a multi5media performance work providing continuous ser)ice in all dimensions which was materialized by the Pittsburgh Ne3 Music 0nsemble, vibrant life for string orchestra. and vioentelec%ron - for violin and orchestra in fexible instrumentation# Current projects under3ay include a music drama version for small spaces of Charles Dickens’ A C%ristmas Carol. and large works for piano (at t%e piano@ and for orchestra in fexible instrumentation utili&ing multi5media (entelec%ron symp%ony@# (s a violinist. Zahab has premiered more than a hundred works by such composers as Dohn Cage, Daron Hagen. Gilda Lyons. Ste)en Mackey. Ursula Mamlok. Eric Moe, J#*# 3abena Nketia. Dennis Riley. Tison Street. Orianna Webb and Christian Wol;# 9ecordings as violinist and composer are a)ailable on the Truemedia. Albany. and Koch 2nternational Classics labels# His version of John Cage’s (irteen Harmonies for violin and keyboard instrument is published by C.4#!eters Corporation# For more information as well as recordings and scores of shorter works visit 333#rogerzahab#net# Scores are a)ailable at 333#ne3musicshelf#com# ++:H/ Cofee Break +,:// "iscussion with Alex Knapp 4rom Folksong to Artsong: Inspiration or AppropriationR Tis discussion focusses upon the legitimacy or other3ise of making "art music" arrangements of traditional melodies. and of utili&ing liturgical chants and folk songs as the bases of original compositions# Taking examples from my o3n pieces.