Daniela Smarandescu Zur Volks- und Kunstmusik Rumäniens

About this book

The focus of the work „On Romanian Folk and Art Music – Transcultural Aspects of Mediation“ is the effort to bring transcultural experiences to life. To this end, it is essential to explore national and identity-forming factors in order to establish (goal-oriented) transnational cultural connections. The author is convinced that music education can provide a platform where participants can experience and explore music-related identities and – thanks to encounters with Romanian (musical) culture – contribute to fostering a cross-cultural sense of community.

The lesson plans appended to this work present diverse cultural contexts and situations, the understanding and comprehension of which enables learners to develop appropriate strategies for action. They thus support the development of transcultural competence.

To guarantee a solid research foundation, a historical analysis of the sources was necessary, along with the presentation of traditional Romanian folk music in connection with the customary practices and traditions that not only shaped the identity of the community but also served as a source of inspiration for many generations of Romanian composers. Furthermore, the focus is on the development of the national school, from the first harmonizations of folk and popular songs to the emergence of a universal and avantgarde musical language of our time, which is ultimately based on the 'morphology' of traditional music. In plain terms, this means understanding the 'nature' from which these songs originated; only in this way can explanatory patterns be found for the diverse characteristics of songs in Romanian folklore.

The hopeful vision of many composers from the Hungarian-Romanian region, especially Bartók or Enescu, that music possesses unifying powers, remains binding for today's globalized world, in which all nations are respected and promoted equally through (trans-)cultural education.