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A quantum field's lowest energy state is the quantum vacuum state, which is a fundamental concept in quantum field theory. This is not an empty space, but rather exhibits inherent quantum fluctuations in energy and particle content. In response to these fluctuations, virtual particles are created and annihilated, temporary entities that temporarily borrow energy from the vacuum state. In quantum field theory, a framework for describing particle interactions, the quantum vacuum state is central to understanding the behavior of subatomic particles. The quantum world is fundamentally dynamic, and even the lowest energy state is not truly empty. The purpose of this piece is to describe this theory through music.This music score was submitted for Resonate 2024: An Open Access Call for Scores by the UCLA Music Library with Bent Frequency and Jan Berry Baker.

My inspiration for composing this piece was the Nowruz music played with Saz and Dohol. The word Nowruz, means new day; its spelling and pronunciation may vary by country. Nowruz marks the first day of spring and is celebrated on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox, which usually occurs on 21 March. It is celebrated as the beginning of the new year by more than 300 million people all around the world and has been celebrated for over 3,000 years in the Balkans, the Black Sea Basin, the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Middle East and other regions. Inscribed in 2009 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as a cultural tradition observed by numerous peoples, Nowruz is an ancestral festivity marking the first day of spring and the renewal of nature. It promotes values of peace and solidarity between generations and within families as well as reconciliation and neighborliness, thus contributing to cultural diversity and friendship among peoples and different communities. Nowruz plays a significant role in strengthening the ties among peoples based on mutual respect and the ideals of peace and good neighborliness. Its traditions and rituals reflect the cultural and ancient customs of the civilizations of the East and West, which influenced those civilizations through the interchange of human values. Celebrating Nowruz means the affirmation of life in harmony with nature, awareness of the inseparable link between constructive labor and natural cycles of renewal and a solicitous and respectful attitude towards natural sources of life (International Nowruz Day, 2023). In ancient Iran, Saz and Dohol were used for national important day such as Nowruz. Saz or Sorna is a conical wooden tube 30–45 cm long, but its length may extend to 60 cm. It is played with a double reed and usually has a pirouette. This type of instrument is between one and a half to two octaves, depending on the model(Poché & Sultanova, 2001).  The Dohol is an instrument of the family of two-sided membranophones. It, which is present in different shapes and sizes in different areas of Iran, is known by the following names: Dohol, dehel, dahil, dol, daval, timbuk, judeh, gap Dohol, dehlak, dehlak nal, dammām, etc. All types of Dohol have a wooden cylinder (sometimes made of metal), are covered by leather on both sides and the skins are joined to the body by two rings with a row of cords. This instrument is played in different ways in different areas of Iran (usually with two wooden sticks) (Redazione., 2019).This music score was submitted for Resonate 2024: An Open Access Call for Scores by the UCLA Music Library.

In this program note, philosophical ideas about music are presented, as well as an analysis of the piece and techniques used. As a composer, I prefer to describe my musical ideas in order for them to be understood and performed more effectively. Moreover, I may forget the ideas that are behind my composition, and writing these ideas will enable me to follow the development of my composition over time. Additionally, I believe that when composers share their ideas for writing music, it can help other composers to see and explore other approaches. However, I believe that all composers, themselves, should find their own path.This music score was submitted for Resonate 2024: An Open Access Call for Scores by the UCLA Music Library with Bent Frequency and Jan Berry Baker.

Coplas is a composition for alto saxophone, accordion and vibraphone, based on the poems by Garcilaso de la Vega, a Spanish poet who wrote these poems, "Coplas" to the death of his father. So I did the same with music, to the death of my father.This music score was submitted for Resonate 2024: An Open Access Call for Scores by the UCLA Music Library with Bent Frequency and Jan Berry Baker.

The words 'Padma Tāmarasa' are Sanskrit and refer to the red lotus flower that opens at first light. The piece evokes the mood of a prayer being sung at early morning from a high tower, slowly emerging and returning to a place of quiet and reverence. This music score was submitted for Resonate 2024: An Open Access Call for Scores by the UCLA Music Library with Bent Frequency and Jan Berry Baker.

I do not like concepts such as "common sense" and "precedent." Instead, I would like to invest ample time in individually examining each phenomenon and object, prodding and rolling them, heating them in fire and submerging them in water, dismantling and reassembling them, and seeking answers with my own eyes and ears. At times, it becomes imperative to pluck the feathers of a phoenix and observe them from myriad perspectives.This music score was submitted for Resonate 2024: An Open Access Call for Scores by the UCLA Music Library.

For solo clarinet. Composed in 2015, rev. 2020.Premiered by Stephanie Clark, Boston New Music Initiative, recording here: https://youtu.be/ZrkBx92DF5k?si=JScV-3O0hPFKaxjj

Since the twentieth century, contemporary music has been a source of controversial perceptions and standpoints. This study aims to explore young music students' perception of the term 'contemporary music' and anticipate possible directions for improvement in music education in Armenia. Based on her pedagogical experience, and a scientific literature review, the author attempted to describe the issue in terms of perception and prejudices. A questionnaire was used to conduct the survey among music students to gather data from respondents about their insights on the subject. The findings indicate it is mostly a combination of mixed ideas of contemporary academic and popular music formed as a result of the learner's personal musical experience. The result reveals that it is possible to change the attitude of students to a positive one by actively gaining the experience of contemporary music performance. The author has also formulated observations and recommendations, which should be taken into account for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contemporary Indonesia, women composers can be considered as the Other. They are outnumbered, forgotten, and excluded in a patriarchal, male dominated music landscape. They are also disconnected from each other, and lost in the long history of Indonesian women composer's music and discourse. In 2021, amidst the darkest isolation as the world reeled from COVID–19, Indonesian women composers started to form a collective movement. This paper tells the stories of how women composers reconnected their ideas of solidarity through various online platforms. It captures an autoethnography of the networking process, one which seeks to follow the trace of musical exploration and resistance—a story of a woman becoming a composer in Indonesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using multimedia elements to present poetry can help make it more accessible and understandable to a broader audience. In the context of China, where poetry is important in culture and art, interpreting the poems of Chinese poets in contemporary music can help popularize their work among young audiences. The study aimed to explore the possibilities of using various multimedia tools to promote poetry in online educational blogs and to study the effectiveness of various multimedia tools in attracting audience attention to poetry. The survey results reveal the popularity of contemporary songs in China among the youth, who draw inspiration from poetry. "Green Light" (绿光) received the highest percentage of votes, at 38%. This song centres on the theme of love and expresses the desire to be reunited with a loved one. "Raindrops on Banana Leaves" (雨打芭蕉) garnered 26% of the votes and conveys the beauty of nature after rain, emphasizing the appreciation of the world's beauty. "Nebula" (天空) was mentioned by 9% of the students, and this song includes lines from the poem "Love in the Sky" by Jiang Zhiqun. It explores themes of love and self-reflection, reflecting the desire to be with a loved one. "Crazy Heartbeats" (疯狂的心跳) received 18% of the votes, and the song uses phrases from the poem "Strong Feelings" by Junjian Lu. It portrays intense emotions, highlighting love and passion. "I Am by Your Side" (我在你左右), a song containing lines from the eponymous poem by Zhongsan Lu, was chosen by 9% of the students. It revolves around the theme of love and the longing to be with someone special. These findings illustrate how contemporary music in China often intertwines with classical poetry, bridging the gap between traditional literary heritage and modern forms of cultural self-expression. The results of the statistical analysis indicate a statistically significant difference between the control and experimental groups regarding the impact of multimedia technologies on learning outcomes.. The experiment has shown that these technologies contribute to better comprehension of the material and the attainment of higher scores compared to students who employed traditional teaching methods. Based on the study, conclusions can be drawn about the prospects of other processes related to this topic, namely the importance of using multimedia technologies to present poetry in online educational blogs, especially for interpreting poems by Chinese poets in modern Chinese music, such technologies will help to attract a wider audience and develop a person's creativity, linguistic culture, and sensual and aesthetic spheres. For further research, it will be essential to study the impact of multimedia technologies on the understanding and appreciation of Chinese poetry by students of different age groups and cultural backgrounds and to conduct a comparative analysis of various methods of interpreting Chinese poetry in multimedia format. The present findings can also be used to develop recommendations and practices for using multimedia technologies in education and cultural activities related to Chinese poetry and methods for applying multimedia technologies as the presentation of poetry in online blogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Motif Academy Journal of Folklore is the property of Motif Yayincilik and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Ethos (0860-8024) is the property of John Paul II Institute, Faculty of Philosophy, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article is devoted to studying the reasons for the historical and cultural connection between Leonide Massine’s unstaged ballet Liturgy, which was conceived by him together with Sergei Diaghilev, and the production of the Liturgy ballet shown in 2023 at the Zaryadye concert hall in Moscow. The creators of the new Liturgy ballet, choreographer Olga Tsvetkova and composer Sergei Akhunov, directly point to Massine’s Liturgy as a source of inspiration and highlight the personal need to reflect on the divine principle in art. The article cites a number of sources documenting the three‐year long staging process of Liturgy at the beginning of the 20th century (1914–1916), as well as the sources characterizing Leonid Massine’s creative style and the penchant for religious themes in his record of accomplishment as a choreographer. The issues of the sacred also concern Olga Tsvetkova, a contemporary Russian choreographer. The reason for her interest in the material of Liturgy may be connected with an attempt to understand the sources of inspiration and ethical selfregulation in the process of working with religious themes of artistic culture and establish the artistic reception with the Ballets Russes project.

Este artigo apresenta alguns resultados de uma pesquisa em torno da prática de música-teatro no Brasil. Concentra-se em verificar os apagamentos a que tal repertório esteve relegado nas narrativas musicológicas brasileiras da segunda metade do século XX. Para tanto, analisa os discursos de Vasco Mariz no livro História da Música no Brasil em contraponto ao livro Música Contemporânea Brasileira de José Maria Neves, ambos lançados em 1981 e igualmente referências no meio acadêmico brasileiro. Defende-se que a música-teatro é uma prática permanente na música contemporânea brasileira e que seu apagamento das obras referenciais se deu tanto por um projeto de identidade musical nacionalista no qual tal prática não se encaixava, quanto por uma inexistência de léxico para se referir a esse tipo de composição. Ao final, demonstramos os espaços de germinação da música-teatro no Brasil durante as décadas de 1960 e 1970 e uma catalogação não-exaustiva de obras que demonstra a quantidade e diversidade do repertório.

Copyright of RAST Musicology Journal / Rast Muzikoloji Dergisi is the property of RAST Musicology Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Contemporary professional landscapes in classical music fields are rapidly changing and younger generations of musicians are confronting their creative careers, more often than not in connection to self-employment and freelancing. This narrative inquiry investigates the pathways and livelihoods of composers in a changing professional ecosystem through interviews with 10 bigenerational composers in Finland. The analysis is presented in three "factional stories," in which the empirical material is crafted into "fictional form" by an anonymous first-person narrator. The stories depict how the secure, traditional careers of the older generation are found to be bound to traditional orchestras and ensembles, whereas the protean careers of the younger generation of composers involve passionate pathfinding amid pluralizing ecosystems, within but also beyond traditional contexts and through various collaborations. The younger composers are expanding significantly, or consciously distancing themselves from, the traditional model and values of a contemporary composer. Competition is found to be increasing and professional education described as too short and insufficient in its concentration on technique—this does not provide new understandings and skills beyond traditional composing craft needed for navigating the profession and securing livelihoods. Although similarities are found in the pathways of both composers' generations, such as strong career callings and experiences of luck, the "struggle" for a composer to find a place in society is more strongly experienced by the younger generation, for which the development of an ongoing "learner identity" is required to embrace—and not resist—such a challenge. As a whole, the study provides a new understanding of composers' pathfinding through changing ecosystems and suggests that traditional and protean music careers co-exist—even within a single person—while they can also be clearly separated from each other. The study informs higher music education programs in Western countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In light of current difficulties and the prevalence of mental health issues, music--a powerful medium for emotional expression and narrative--has historically addressed resilience, mental health, and personal challenges. This research explores the representation of mental health in selected contemporary music, recognizing the current societal emphasis on mental well-being. Despite numerous studies exploring the impact of music, there is a need for further research to analyze songs that specifically address personal struggles. Grounded in Narrative Psychology Theory, the study employs descriptive qualitative research to explore the nuances of mental health expressions in a purposively selected sample of 12 songs from diverse genres released within the last decade. Thematic analysis reveals prevalent themes related to personal struggles, mental health issues, and overcoming adversities, providing insights into how musicians navigate and articulate mental health experiences. Using pseudonyms ensures confidentiality in reporting findings in an interconnected narrative format. The study underscores the vital role of music as a medium for expressing and understanding mental health experiences, offering resonance to listeners, and contributing to the cultural discourse on mental well-being. Exploring diverse themes in contemporary songs enriches our understanding of the multifaceted dimensions of mental health in today's culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Musica Theorica is the property of Musica Theorica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article proposes a division of the concept of space in music into four spaces, namely the internal, external, intrinsic and extrinsic spaces. Having reviewed these concepts in texts from numerous authors and composers, we aggregate a variety of concepts into these four main categories of space in music. We also present possible transgressions of the boundaries of these concepts, with the understanding that these transgressions are common practice for contemporary composers. Currently, these practices of transgression tend to be confused because of the lack of a clear definition for the spaces in question.

The purpose of this article is to consider how, by using contemporary techniques and their notation, a composer can better communicate with beginning students, who usually have no experience with contemporary music. My goal in the project was to increase the composer´s understanding of composing pedagogical music, and to make contemporary music more approachable by giving it an active role in early instrument studies. In order to better understand and communicate how my notation communicates with musicians on different playing levels, I composed three versions of the work Piilo, commissioned by the saxophonist and instrument teacher Kalle Oittinen: for the beginning, the advanced, and the professional student. In the article, I reflect on the composition process, playing techniques, and use of notation in the Piilo project, and on the interactive Piilo cards which I developed to help the players familiarize themselves with the techniques I used in Piilo and, more broadly, the expression of contemporary music. The article is situated within the framework of artistic action research. The research data included diary entries, emails, and discussions with Oittinen, as well as videos from four Piilo workshops for students and teachers.

Using Anne Carson's concepts of 'cliché', 'catastrophe', 'silence', and 'translation' as a framework, I will trace the ways in which my collaboration with Éliane Radigue on her composition OCCAM X for solo trumpet encouraged me to rethink my practice as an instrumentalist and improviser. This self-interrogation encompasses a setting out of terms, a history of my pre-OCCAM thinking, the questions raised by my collaboration with Radigue, and how this work continues to influence my approach to performance and creation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite being the closest to us temporarily, the academic musical repertoire of the 20th and 21st centuries still finds obstacles to establishing itself both in the programming of concert halls and the subjects taught at conservatories. This research aims to explore the presence and use of contemporary music in the syllabuses of Music Performance courses in the Professional and Higher Conservatories of Music in Spain. The methodology employed is mixed, using qualitative and quantitative tools and univariate statistics, of an analytical and comparative type, through a case study approach. For data collection, documentary analysis of study plans and didactic programs was used, as well as interviews with teachers and students. The conclusions determine a scarce presence of Contemporary Music as a didactic resource and within the instrumental repertoire in the classrooms of Spanish conservatories. However, students show motivation, and teachers stress the importance of including this repertoire from the initial stages of learning.

AbstractThis paper appraises the role of contemporary Kiswahili music, a form of oral art, in promoting environmental awareness and advocacy. Using case studies from Kenya and Tanzania, we analyse whether East African music infused with suitable environmental practices can help mainstream environmental education, arouse public interest towards nature, advocate for change in mind-sets, and call for proactive action on environmental conservation, while still offering entertainment. Ethnomusicological Kiswahili songs encouraging connection to nature were purposively chosen and acquired from YouTube. The lyrics of these songs were transcribed, translated, and analysed using Critical Discourse Analysis and Conceptual Metaphor Theories. By examining the context and meanings of these songs, we demonstrate that contemporary environmental songs are art forms of expression that advocate for increased environmental management by eliciting discussions and encouraging active societal eco-friendly remedial actions towards ecological resilience and environmental integrity. This article contributes to the emerging discourse on educational and environmental connections through the use of contemporary music, entertainment, and metaphors, with an overarching view to addressing current and emerging environmental concerns. Consequently, we affirm that African music can be used for entertainment, communication of messages and promotion of positive behaviour change.

Copyright of ANIAV: Revista de Investigación en Artes Visuales is the property of Universidad Politecnica de Valencia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Christopher Bochmann, one of the most prominent composers and pedagogues of our time, is the only composer in Portugal, at this moment, to include in his catalogue 4 works that integrate the Accordion in the midst of contemporary music. Using isobematic language as a starting point and form of expression, Bochmann composed for Solo Accordion, Accordion in Chamber Music, Accordion in Ensemble and Concert for Accordion and Orchestra. In this article, we are going to investigate the work Es-say XVIII and how the composer organizes the form, structures the musical ideas and builds the idiomatic writing for Accordion using the converter system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Notes Muzyczny is the property of Akademia Muzyczna im. Grazyny i Kiejstuta Bacewiczow w Lodzi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The aim of this paper is to investigate how contemporary music composition aesthetics and performance practices in orchestral music came to be defined and institutionalised in New York City through the 1960s and 1970s. The geographic distinctions commonly referred to as Uptown and Downtown identify separate networks of American contemporary music that sprouted in New York City already in the 1950s and developed across the United States in the second half of the twentieth century. I propose that the division of contemporary music practices and the ultimate institutionalisation of Uptown is inextricably linked to changing orchestral practices in New York City in the late 1960s and 1970s. Using the digital programme archives from the New York Philharmonic and Carnegie Hall, I analysed contemporary programming in orchestral and large ensemble concerts from 1960 to 1975. Using this data, one observes that contemporary music programming decreased in this period, that the performance of contemporary music became less stylistically diverse, and that “contemporary music”, as a genre, came to be increasingly defined as European and modernist. I therefore conclude that changing orchestral practice was a major contributing factor in the division and institutionalisation of contemporary musical practices in New York City.

In this article, I argue for a shift of focus from mechanical/technological and sonic approaches to music for organ and electronics towards the role of the organist as a performing musician in the collaborative development of new work. To do so, I address the roles and limitations of technologies in performance, taking an embodied approach to understanding and critiquing the work of the organist in the context of my collaboration with Alistair Zaldua (live electronics). I consider the practical solutions we have devised to allow performance in diverse spaces with diverse instruments as a hybrid instrumental practice, considering this an affordance rather than a problem to be solved. I offer three case studies: the preparation of an historical work for organ and electronics (Mesias Maiguashca, Nemos Orgel, 1971–1990); the realisation of the same concert in 5 contrasting spaces (orgel, orgel, orgel, orgel, orgel, 2021); and a collaboration focused on our performance practice (Annette Schmucki, 54 stops, 2020). By examining the development of live-interactive approaches through collaboration I seek to show what this hybrid practice offers for the realisation of this music, and what it means for the consideration of the performing experience of the organist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The represented research - "İntertextual questions analysis in composer's creative activity, sound symbols in contemporary musical thinking" - is devoted one of the leading and original peculiarities contemporary music first summarized research. The research gives author's style systematic observing offering, its universal phenomenas, language conformities and composer's technique principals. Composers musical creations represented in contemporary music culture wide context for the first time are examined in composer's thinking leading categories aspect in the article. On represented theme study, big attention is allocated to musical analysis new methods and also new theory study, directed towards composer's creations artistic content and mode contemporary comprehension, intertextual questions analysis in composer's creative activity, sound symbols in contemporary musical thinking. Examples of multi-layered "open texts" in the Azerbaijani musical experience have been in focus in the works of Azerbaijani composers Uzeyir Hajibeyli and Khayyam Mirzazadeh. These examples are interesting in terms of intertextual principles and various experiments that lead to different compositional structures. In the article, cryptogram problems created on behalf of composers such as J. S Bach, Robert Schumann, Dmitriy Shostakovich, Alban Berg, Edison Denisov, Khayyam Mirzazadeh were examined. Quotations, anagrams, paraphrases used in composers' music has been investigated. This article was devoted to the sound (audio) symbol in modern musical thinking. Conception of code, widely used in semiotics, in linguistics, culturology, genetics, mathematics haven't found yet its place in terminological system of science of music. The author of the article reveals individual musical conceptions on the base of interesting samples, directing attention to different experiments, which opens way to the intertext concepts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses references to Austrian clichés in specifically chosen concert installations by the composer Georg Nussbaumer (b. 1964). Nussbaumer, as one of the outstanding contemporary artists in Austria, has worked with this musical performance format since the 1980s. Therefore, the article begins by explaining the characteristics of this newly established genre of concert installation, which turns out to be a variant of the concert, installation art, and environments. In the subsequent considerations, two principal questions will be addressed: (1) What kinds of material as well as non-material Austrian stereotypes occur in Nussbaumer’s artistic projects, and (2) how does the composer use them as scenographic components within the format of his concert installations? He presents, integrates, and intertwines, for example, musical material and specific objects as effective media, which evoke stereotypical associations of the Austrian “homeland” and its “native” culture. Among them are elements of the Austrian landscape as well as folklore and music by Mozart and Schubert. This is most evident in Nussbaumer’s works Schönes Bildnis mit Mozarterwärmung (2004–06) for a singer and video projection; winter 42/43 (2001) for a small drum, toy tanks, and a Schubert lied recording; Eine Winterreise (2016) with a grand piano, ice, and volcanic ash; Die schönsten Gipfel der Alpen (2007) with hanging tuning forks; and LAWINE, WALD UND STUBENMUSI (2009) for river stones, bells, branches, and solar-powered string instruments. Therefore, these concert installations will be taken as examples for discussing the above-mentioned questions and considering related subjects. It is assumed that Nussbaumer’s artistic material may be discussed in connection with new theoretical approaches to understanding material in the wake of the so-called material turn, as it contains natural relics, musical elements, and objects with a specific history of origin, effectiveness, or “agency.” The material thus has a certain history of existence as “biography” and is moreover often related to biographical aspects of a human or animal life. The concept of “agency” should be understood as a relational model of cause and effect occurring between artist, art object, and audience, as strong emotional and associative reactions are always provoked between the audience and Nussbaumer’s objects or the sounds he used. This approach may be explained in the article by way of objects such as the Mozartkugel, toy tanks, tuning forks, or vibrators, as well as by means of acoustical components such as the sound of rolling river stones. Nussbaumer’s artistic, musical, and theatrical/scenic material and its combinations always provoke a certain kind of familiarity and closeness on the one hand, while on the other hand they elicit distance and sometimes even deterrence, which is an important effect when set in relation to Austrian clichés. One is often attracted by Nussbaumer’s idyllic scenes, but when viewed in greater detail they more often than not reveal their repulsive side. In this way, many a project by Nussbaumer is permeated by an indirect critique of traditional and conventional elements and ideas, both of a cultural and musical nature. previous article back to index next article

This research paper investigates the current situation and reasons behind contemporary improvisational music in China. Through examining the developmental history of improvisational music and clarifying its formation mechanism and characteristics, this paper sheds light on the thought process involved in improvisation and proposes ways to better develop contemporary improvisational music. Three modes of contemporary improvisation performance in China are also explored. The findings of this study contribute to a deeper understanding of the nature of improvisational music and provide insights into its development and future prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feria IV (1997), an original work written for accordion by Franco Donatoni, reflects the singularity of a composer who marked his time for his unique genius and creativity, innovating musical writing with deep influences from Webern, Boulez and Stockhausen. Based on the idea that the previously presented material could be reformulated in such a way that it would never run out, Donatoni developed a Bricolage concept in his music, directing rhythms, causing rapid changes in texture and reusing the materials from one piece to another. A frequent participant in Darmstad summer courses composition, his music is characterized by constant expressiveness, lyricism, enthusiasm and exaltation of spirit. The article is presented in three sections: general notions about the composer and work, interpretive analysis and the interpreter's point of view conclusions about Donatoni's concept as a catalyst for the creative process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gesture in a broader sense is more than a physical movement but, can also be modes of expression representing specific meanings. Movements with meaning embodies gesture and gesture exists in various artforms like music because of its capacity to express. Its capability to transform through time and space makes it akin to energy and it is parallel with the art of composing music. Musical gesture however, are being studied at different levels so as to classify and to relate different functions of gestures. This article intends to demonstrate the use of musical gestures into composing music for a solo wind instrument. Three solo pieces for clarinet were written by three different composers approaching musical composition through gestural writing. To realize the imagined sound and movements of the clarinet, the composers' composing process concentrated more on the gestural movements and tone colours of the selected wind instrument. The musical gesture in these three solo pieces is actually capturing the movement and sense of movement through music, and its essence lies in the subconscious lines connected to create direction and motion in both pieces. This compositional approach also gives the composers more compositional freedom and enriches their compositional process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]