Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T08:53:35.763Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Aspects of Nationalist Propaganda in the Late Nineteenth-Century Romanian Musical Press

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 December 2017

Florinela Popa
Florinela Popa*
Affiliation:
National University of Music Bucharest Email: florinelapop@yahoo.com
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

In the last decades of the nineteenth century, two widely different attitudes regarding local music were evident in the Romanian musical press. One viewpoint had an obviously nationalist character, and was manifested in an apologetic idealization of Romanian music – especially folklore – but also in calls for the improvement of composition and performance in the local music scene. The other attitude revealed a pronounced inferiority complex connected to everything that contemporary Romanian music represented. This was manifested especially in the (sometimes harsh) criticism of Romanian musical life, and in a hostile position towards or ignorance of Romanian musicians, composers or interpreters, except when they attained success and recognition abroad – and sometimes not even then. The two extreme attitudes are not mutually exclusive, but complement each other; essentially, they can be seen to be in a cause–effect relationship.

These two faces of nationalist propaganda are reflected by publications such as Lyra română – foaie musicală şi literară, a weekly magazine published between 2 December 1879 and 31 October 1880, and România musicală, which appeared twice a month between 1 March 1890 and 28 December 1904.

Type
Research Article
Information
Nineteenth-Century Music Review , Volume 14 , Special Issue 3: Music in Nineteenth-Century Romania , December 2017 , pp. 339 - 365
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2017 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 This refers to Moldavia and Wallachia, states with a Romanian ethnic majority, dating back to the middle ages. The term ‘Romanian Principalities’ is from the nineteenth century.

2 The unification of Moldavia and Wallachia took place through the election of Alexandru Ioan Cuza as Prince of both states, on 5 January 1859 in Moldavia, and then on 24 January in Wallachia. The union of Transylvania and Romania, also known as ‘the Great Union’, did not take place until 1 December 1918.

3 Alexandru Ioan Cuza (r. 1859–66) was the first ruler of the Romanian Principalities and then of Romania, a unitary state with the capital in Bucharest. In the seven years of his reign, despite resistance from boyars and the church, Cuza accomplished a series of reforms and laws, such as fiscal reform (1861), secularizing the church property (1863) and rural law (1864). He was also responsible for compulsory primary education and for founding the first universities in the country, as well as the music conservatories in Iaşi (1860) and in Bucharest (1864).

4 Karl Eitel Friedrich Zephyrinus Ludwig von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen was the second son of Prince Karl Anton of Hohennzollern-Sigmaringen and Joséphine, daughter of the Arhduke of Baden. A career officer, Carol I enjoyed the longest reign in the history of the Romanian states. Besides securing the nation’s independence from the Ottoman Empire, he revived the economy, established a number of institutions essential to a modern state, and founded a dynasty. In 1869, he married Elisabeth of Wied, later Queen Elisabeth. He appointed his nephew Ferdinand as heir to the throne. Carol died shortly after the outbreak of World War I.

5 The battles took place in what is now Bulgaria.

6 ‘Precuvântare’, Lyra română 1, no. 1 (2 Dec. 1879): 1–2.

7 ‘Precuvântare’, 1–2.

8 Cordoneanu, Constantin M., ‘Destinaţiunea musicei, către cetitori’, România musicală 1, no. 1 (1 March 1890): 1 Google Scholar.

9 For valuable discussion of Romanian protochronism, see, for instance, Verdery, Katherine, ‘Romanian Protochronism’, in National Ideology Under Socialism: Identity and Cultural Politics in Ceaușescu’s Romania (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1991)CrossRefGoogle Scholar and Boia, Lucian, Istorie şi mit în conştiinţa românească (Bucharest: Humanitas, 1997)Google Scholar.

10 Don Remi was Iuliu D. Roşca (1858–1940), a minor poet and publicist. See the volume of reviews edited by Petecel, Despina, I.D. Roşca, De prin Bucuresci: Muzica la început şi sfârşit de secol, 1882–1904 (Bucharest: Editura Muzicală, 1987)Google Scholar.

11 Gheorghe Missail (1835–1906) was a lawyer, publicist and folklorist (self-taught in music). See Cosma, Viorel, Muzicieni din România: Lexicon, vol. VI: Max–Mus (Bucharest: Editura Muzicală, 2003): 160 Google Scholar.

12 Gheorghe Missail, ‘Muzica naţională la Români’, Lyra română 1, no. 5 (1 Jan. 1880): 34 Google Scholar.

13 Gheorghe Missail, ‘Câteva idei despre Muzica Naţională’, Lyra română 1, no. 1 (2 Dec. 1879): 3 Google Scholar.

14 Toma Ionescu (1850?–1910?) was a music critic (self-taught in music). See Cosma, Viorel, Muzicieni din România: Lexicon, vol. IV: H–J (Bucharest: Editura Muzicală, 2001): 141 Google Scholar.

15 Ionescu, Toma, ‘Cultura Muzicii în ţara noastră. 2. Muzica populară: Originea ei – Caracterul – Autorii – Vechii lăutari’, Lyra română 1, no. 34 (3 Aug. 1880): 268 Google Scholar. Note: This article appears over several issues.

16 ‘Our music was deeply appreciated by the great and immortal Liszt, so that in his third concert in Iaşi on 11 January 1847, he improvised on the most brilliant themes of round dances and other Romanian songs’. Missail, ‘Muzica naţională la Români’, Lyra română 1, no. 6 (6 Jan. 1880): 42 Google Scholar.

17 Missail, ‘Muzica naţională la Români’, Lyra română 1, no. 11 (22 Feb. 1880): 90 Google Scholar.

18 ‘Do you hear that, Romanians?! Be proud, but cultivate your music!’ Missail, ‘Muzica naţională la Români’, Lyra română 1, no. 11 (22 Feb. 1880): 90 Google Scholar.

19 Missail ‘Muzica naţională la Români’, Lyra română 1, no. 6 (6 Jan. 1880): 46 Google Scholar.

20 Missail, ‘Muzica naţională la Români’, Lyra română 1, no. 5 (1 Jan. 1880): 35 Google Scholar.

21 Missail, ‘Muzica naţională la Români’, Lyra română 1, no. 5 (1 Jan. 1880): 34 Google Scholar.

22 Missail, ‘Muzica naţională la Români’, Lyra română 1, no. 5 (1 Jan. 1880): 34 Google Scholar.

23 P., ‘Dezvoltarea muzicii’, România musicală 1, no. 1 (1 March 1890): 2 Google Scholar.

24 Ionescu, ‘Cultura Muzicii în ţara noastră. 2’, Lyra română 1, no. 34 (30 Aug. 1880): 265 Google Scholar.

25 Missail, ‘Muzica naţională la Români’, Lyra română 1, no. 10 (12 Feb. 1880): 79 Google Scholar.

26 Missail, ‘Muzica naţională la Români’, Lyra română 1, no. 11 (22 Feb. 1880): 90 Google Scholar.

27 Missail, ‘Muzica naţională la Români’, Lyra română 1, no. 5 (1 Jan. 1880): 35 Google Scholar.

28 Gheorghe Missail, ‘Simţibilitatea muzicală a poporului român (II)’, Lyra română 1, no. 19 (18 April 1880): 151 Google Scholar.

29 Missail, ‘Simţibilitatea muzicală a poporului român (II)’, 151.

30 Missail, ‘Muzica naţională la Români’, Lyra română 1, no. 10 (12 Feb. 1880): 79 Google Scholar.

31 Missail, ‘Muzica naţională la Români’, Lyra română 1, no. 10 (12 Feb. 1880): 79 Google Scholar.

32 See Ionescu, , ‘Cultura Muzicii în ţara noastră. 2’, Lyra română 1, no. 38 (15 Oct. 1880): 300 Google Scholar.

33 See Missail, ‘Muzica naţională la români’, Lyra română 1, no. 11 (22 Feb. 1880): 90 Google Scholar.

34 Ionescu, ‘Cultura Muzicii în ţara noastră. 2’, Lyra română 1, no. 35 (7 Sep. 1880): 300 Google Scholar.

35 Missail, ‘Muzica naţională la Români’, Lyra română 1, no. 7 (13 Jan. 1880): 50 Google Scholar.

36 Missail, ‘Muzica naţională la Români’, Lyra română 1, no. 7 (13 Jan. 1880): 51 Google Scholar, 54.

37 Missail, ‘Muzica naţională la Români’, Lyra română 1, no. 7 (13 Jan. 1880): 51 Google Scholar.

38 Missail, ‘Muzica naţională la Români’, Lyra română 1, no. 2 (9 Dec. 1879): 14 Google Scholar.

39 Ionescu, ‘Cultura Muzicii în ţara noastră. 2’, Lyra română 1, no. 35 (7 Sep. 1880): 277 Google Scholar.

40 Ionescu, ‘Cultura Muzicii în ţara noastră. 2’, Lyra română 1, no. 35 (7 Sep. 1880): 277 Google Scholar.

41 Ionescu, ‘Cultura Muzicii în ţara noastră. 2’, Lyra română 1, no. 36 (12 Sep. 1880): 289 Google Scholar.

42 Ionescu, ‘Cultura Muzicii în ţara noastră. 2’, Lyra română 1, no. 38 (15 Oct. 1880): 300 Google Scholar.

43 P., ‘Dezvoltarea muzicii’, 1.

44 Ionescu, Toma, ‘Corurile bisericeşti din Capitală’, Lyra română 1, no. 18 (13 April 1880): 137 Google Scholar.

45 Ioan Cart (1820–1875) was a religious singer, conductor, professor and composer. See Cosma, Viorel, Muzicieni din România: Lexicon, vol. I: A–C (Bucharest: Editura Muzicală, 1989): 256 Google Scholar.

46 Ionescu, Toma, ‘Cultura Muzicii în ţara noastră. 1. Muzica religioasă’, Lyra română 1, no. 25 (15 June 1880): 199 Google Scholar.

47 Ionescu, , ‘Cultura Muzicii în ţara noastră. 1’, Lyra română 1, no. 22 (18 May 1880): 175 Google Scholar.

48 Ionescu, ‘Cultura Muzicii în ţara noastră. 1’, Lyra română 1, no. 22 (18 May 1880): 175 Google Scholar.

49 Ionescu, ‘Cultura Muzicii în ţara noastră. 1’, Lyra română 1, no. 22 (18 May 1880): 175 Google Scholar.

50 Ionescu, ‘Cultura Muzicii în ţara noastră. 1’, Lyra română 1, no. 22 (18 May 1880): 175 Google Scholar.

51 Ionescu, ‘Cultura Muzicii în ţara noastră. 1’, Lyra română 1, no. 22 (18 May 1880): 176 Google Scholar.

52 Members of the Greek aristocratic families who lived in Phanar, the main Greek neighbourhood in Constantinople.

54 Ionescu, ‘Cultura Muzicii în ţara noastră. 1’, Lyra română 1, no. 25 (15 June 1880): 199 Google Scholar.

55 Ionescu, ‘Corurile bisericeşti din Capitală’, Lyra română 1, no. 18 (13 April 1880): 137 Google Scholar.

56 P., ‘Dezvoltarea muzicii’, 1–2.

57 Anton Pann was a composer, historian, singer, professor, folklorist and typographer. See Cosma, Viorel, Muzicieni din România: Lexicon, vol. VII: N-O-Pip (Bucharest: Editura Muzicală, 2004): 254 Google Scholar.

58 Ionescu, ‘Cultura Muzicii în ţara noastră. 1’, Lyra română 1, no. 24 (31 May 1880): 190 Google Scholar.

59 ‘Musica în România’ (unsigned article), România musicală 1, no. 2 (15 March 1890): 1.

60 Ionescu, ‘Corurile bisericeşti din Capitală’, Lyra română 1, no. 18 (13 April 1880): 138 Google Scholar.

61 Ionescu, ‘Corurile bisericeşti din Capitală’ (continued), Lyra română 1, no. 19 (18 April 1880): 145 Google Scholar.

62 This is probably the successful opera by Italian Filippo Marchetti, based on a play by Victor Hugo, which had its premiere in Milan in 1869.

63 Ionescu, ‘Corurile bisericeşti din Capitală’ (continued), Lyra română 1, no. 19 (18 April 1880): 146 Google Scholar.

64 Burada, Teodor T., ‘Încercări despre originea Theatrului naţional şi a Conservatorului de muzici şi declamaţiune cântată’, Lyra română 1, no. 11 (22 Feb. 1880): 81 Google Scholar.

65 M., ‘Convorbiri muzicale (I)’, Lyra română 1, no. 11 (22 Feb. 1880): 87 Google Scholar.

66 ‘Muzica în România’ (unsigned article), România musicală 1, no. 2 (15 March 1890): 1.

67 ‘Progres?’ (unsigned article), România musicală 2, no. 1 (1 March 1891): 1.

68 ‘Mister Wachmann as director of the Conservatory has no idea how many students he has, what they learn, what their skills are, if they have finished their studies and accomplished something that they can be proud of’. Tomşa, Vasile, ‘Conservatorul de Muzică şi Delegaţiunile la Examene. Scandalurile’, România musicală 2, no. 7 (1 June 1891): 1 Google Scholar.

69 Kolberg, Emil, ‘Starea muzicală în România’, România musicală 8, no. 12 (15 June 1897): 89 Google Scholar.

70 ‘An abuse’ (unsigned article), România musicală 8, no. 17 (15 Oct. 1897): 131.

71 See Lyra română 1, no. 10 (12 Feb. 1880): 74.

72 M., ‘Convorbiri muzicale (II)’, Lyra română 1, no. 13 (7 March 1880): 103 Google Scholar.

73 Ionescu, ‘Cultura Muzicii în ţara noastră’, Lyra română 1, no. 25 (15 June 1880): 199–200 Google Scholar.

74 Ionescu, ‘Cultura Muzicii în ţara noastră’, Lyra română 1, no. 26 (22 June 1880): 202 Google Scholar.

75 Ionescu, ‘Cultura Muzicii în ţara noastră’, Lyra română 1, no. 26 (22 June 1880): 202 Google Scholar.

76 Ionescu, ‘Cultura Muzicii în ţara noastră’, Lyra română 1, no. 27 (29 June 1880): 211 Google Scholar.

77 Demetrescu, Ilie, ‘De ce?’, România musicală 8, no. 16 (1 Oct. 1897): 122–123 Google Scholar.

78 R., ‘ Poema Română, suită simfonică în două părţi’, România musicală 9, no. 4 (15 Feb. 1898): 32 Google Scholar.

79 Percussion instrument used in Orthodox liturgy. Bells and the toacă are the only musical instruments accepted by the Orthodox Church.

80 Romanian folk dances.

81 Remi, Don, ‘ Poema Română, suită simfonică în două părţi, de domnul George Enescu’, România musicală 9, no. 6 (15 March 1898): 50 Google Scholar.

82 Cordoneanu, C. M., ‘Cronică muzicală’, România musicală 9, no. 7 (1 April 1898): 66 Google Scholar.

53 Ionescu, ‘Cultura Muzicii în ţara noastră. 1’, Lyra română 1, no. 22 (18 May 1880): 176 Google Scholar.