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abstracts
Ioannis Fulias: The four piano concertos of Xaver Scharwenka. A
contribution to the examination of the concerto genre during the late
romantic period (Part II)
The present publication is the first, internationally, comprehensive
study devoted to the four concertos for piano and orchestra of Xaver
Scharwenka (1850-1924), works that are not only some of the most
representative of their genre during the late romantic period, but
also unjustifiably neglected for almost a century. As an introduction,
a brief biographical sketch is provided for the composer, brilliant
virtuoso and notorious piano pedagogue (among his many other
attributes), and a reference is made to his principal works; also, a
critical reconstruction of the periodisation of his whole
compositional output in two distinct phases (instead of three periods,
as has been groundlessly proposed by M. Schneider-Dominco) is offered,
and a similar review is attempted concerning the references to
Scharwenka’s concertos that are detected both in general and more
specific literature. Subsequently, each of the composer’s four piano
concertos is examined from a historical and an analytical perspective:
the – as complete as possible – history of their creation and
performances is based on a thorough cross-check of data from the
available primary sources and secondary literature references, leading
to numerous revisions of hitherto erroneous or deficient information,
while the detailed analyses of the works illuminate their structure
and their main stylistic features in connection with a solid
theoretical background, which contributes to the elimination of any
kind of misinterpretation formulated for these concertos in all their
previous, superficial, approaches. Finally, in the conclusion of this
study, a) the evolution of Scharwenka’s compositional style is
evaluated through his formal choices, the implementation of the cyclic
form as a compositional principle, and the relation between the solo
instrument and the orchestra that is developed in his four concertos,
b) the possible influence that the works of prominent fellow-craftsmen
of his occasionally had on Scharwenka is put under investigation, c)
the exact position of these piano concertos in the wider history of
their genre during the late romantic period is redefined, and,
inevitably, d) an inquiry is made into the causes of their
displacement from the concert repertoire after the death of their
composer.
Kostas Kardamis:
Spiros Samaras’ interventions regarding the musical matters of Greece
(1888-1909)
For several decades the conventional idea regarding Spiros Samaras was
that of a composer with a notable career abroad but totally alienated
from Greece. Nonetheless, it is becoming gradually apparent that
Samaras took advantage of every opportunity to propose and actively
support ideas and plans for the development of the Greeks’ musical
sentiment as well as for the organization or improvement of his
homeland’s music institutions. This essay attempts to investigate
in brief
certain aspects of these interventions by Samaras before his permanent
return to Athens (1911), which demonstrate coherence and continuity in
the composer’s aims and pursuits.
Antonis I.
Konstantinidis:
Arithmetics and mathematics in accordance with the Theory of
Chrisanthos
1814 is thought to be an important milestone in the development of
Greek traditional
church music (known as “Psaltiki Techni”),
since it signifies the beginning of
theoretical and notational reformation. This reformation becomes
widely known as the reformation of the “Three Teachers”. In his main
work, Mega Theoritikon, published in 1832, Chrisanthos of
Maditos sufficiently supports the theoretical background of his
endeavor. He analyses and establishes the new theory of the church
music. This significant edition includes not only the technical and
theoretical details related to the specific topic, but also the
philosophical and aesthetical views of the author. The main sources of
Chrisanthos’ work must be found either in the scripts of ancient Greek
music theory writers or in contemporary theoretical works that refer
to western music. Meanwhile, there is a great interest in the way that
Chrisanthos uses arithmetics and mathematics in his work. He uses the
numbers not only as an important denotation for the survey of his
interval theory, but as supporting evidence too. We can also observe
the logical sequences, which he is referring to, either in words or
used for calculations, as well as the application of some elementary
algebraic tools. The conclusions of this research raise a great
interest and lead to some really useful associations concerning the
theoretical thinking, the knowledge and the motivations of the
reformer writer.
Theodore Karathodoros: Two-way communication
between composer and performer. The contribution of
Lykourgos Angelopoulos to contemporary art music
Undoubtedly, Lykourgos Angelopoulos was one of the most prominent
figures in Byzantine music. His long-standing activity as a chanter
and conductor of the
renowned Greek Byzantine Choir, his important pedagogical work, as
well as the writing of musicological articles and essays constitute
the dominant components of his creative course. There is, however,
another aspect of his artistic activity, which the wide audience is
not so familiar with. In fact, his participation as
a soloist in works of contemporary art music
broadened the horizons of his artistic presence, while his vocal
skills, his artistic and scientific pursuits, as well as his strong
personality influenced to a certain extent the mindset of
contemporary music
creators. In particular, his close collaboration with the high-calibre
composers Michael Adamis and Dimitri Terzakis was a decisive factor in
the creation of important works, many of which were written
exclusively for him. In this article, the artistic connection
established between the
composer
and the performer is analysed,
putting special emphasis on those traits of Angelopoulos’ personality
that inspired and influenced the compositional process of selected works.
At the same time, this article discusses the general presence of
Lykourgos Angelopoulos in the contemporary Greek art music milieu.
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