About the International Rast Music Congress (IRMC) The International Rast Music Congress (IRMC) is an annually organized, traditional academic event held in both online and in-person formats. Its primary aim is to become a central platform for the discussion and dissemination of music research worldwide. IRMC is proudly supported by several esteemed academic journals, including the Turkish Music (TM) Journal, Rast Musicology Journal, Journal of Music Theory and Transcultural Music Studies (JMTTMS), Turkish Organology Journal (TOD), and the Journal for the Interdisciplinary Art & Education (JIAE). These journals contribute by fostering networking opportunities between authors and readers, enriching the scholarly community. In addition, various universities, institutes, and associations actively support IRMC from diverse perspectives, contributing to its interdisciplinary and international spirit. IRMC aspires to be the foremost global platform for music research, facilitating meaningful dialogue, collaboration, and innovation in the field. Rast Music Awards Rast Music Awards Rast Music Awards is dedicated to promoting music researchers, performers, and artists on the rise and established high-quality music standards while supporting charitable causes through the Rast Muzikoloji Dergisi Academic Board. This award was established by the Genc Bilge (Young Wise) Publishing Ltd music publishers, and is given for the publication of a work by gifted scientists, artists, performers, and composers. Rast Muzikoloji Dergisi Academic Board is as an honor board of the academic world-leading scientists, artists, composers, and writers. The Board’s 10 members are determined for one year and pay no dues. In addition to electing new members as vacancies occur, the Board seeks to foster and sustain an interest in Music by administering over 27 awards and prizes. Rast Music Awards are announced once a year. Candidates submit their applications, awards are distributed as a result of the evaluation by the award committee. Candidates apply to the Rast Music Awards in two main categories: art and science. Rast Music Awards’ main and sub-categories are as follows. Conditions of the Art Awards Category Candidate works must be published between 1 January and 31 October 2025 of this year, in a printed album or in social media. Recordings are expected to be of high quality and intelligible. The classical style and attitude characteristics of each category should be reflected in the composition/performing. For vocal and instrumental performances, it is expected to be one of the works in the repertoire of the relevant category or composed in that style, which requires technically high performance skills. Distortion of the words or pitches of the works other than the truth will not be accepted. Conditions of the Science Awards Category Scientific publication applications should be in the right research design, have a high impact factor in the field, and should be from musicology subjects. Note: The Rast Music Awards are announced on the last day of the annual IRMC Congress and published in the IRMC Abstract Proceedings e-Book. Certificates are sent to the award winners. Musicians and music researchers who are eligible for these awards should submit a written statement explaining their nominations, their reasons for nomination, and a list of their works to info@rastmusiccongress.org Main Category: Art Awards Main Category Turkish Art Music Sub-categories: Turkish Religious Music Sub-categories: Western Music Sub-category: Turkish Music Composer Science Awards Sub-categories: Sub-category: Thesis Sub-category: Article Sub-category: Book Sub-category: Research Project Sub-category: Proceedings Sub-category: Novelty Sub-Category: Rast Musicology Journal Publication Awards Rast Music Awards Committee Chair
The Composer’s Inner Voice as a Bridge Between Musical Creation and Human Experience
This paper investigates the composer’s inner voice as a critical, aesthetic, and humanistic phenomenon that mediates between personal creativity and collective cultural meaning. Drawing on Theodor W. Adorno’s (1966 ,1970) Aesthetic Theory and Negative Dialectics, as well as C. G. Jung’s (1959) concept of active imagination, the study examines how internal processes of intuition, critique, and imaginative reflection shape musical creation in the contemporary context. The theoretical framework is further supported by perspectives from Paul Griffiths (2010), Aiden Chan (2022), Zvonimir Stephen Nagy (2017) and Veit Erlmann (1999) situating the inquiry within modern understandings of embodiment, global imagination, and creative consciousness. Methodologically, the research adopts a collaborative dual-perspective design. The composer engages in practice-based inquiry, documenting her creative process through reflective journaling, sketches, and iterative drafts that serve as primary data for tracing the emergence of the inner voice. The musicologist conducts hermeneutic and aesthetic analysis of these materials, interpreting them through critical-philosophical and musicological lenses. Dialogic reflection sessions between the two authors provide triangulation, enabling a multi-layered understanding of how subjective experience is transformed into musical form and meaning. A critical literature review grounds this methodological approach within contemporary scholarship on creativity, aesthetics, and compositional process. The findings suggest that the composer’s inner voice operates as a dynamic site of ethical reflection, artistic agency, and human connection linking self-experience with broader cultural realities. By integrating theoretical insight with lived compositional practice, the study contributes to current discussions in musicology, artistic research, and interdisciplinary creativity studies. It argues that the inner voice remains a vital bridge between musical art and humanity, reaffirming the capacity of music to cultivate empathy, renewal, and transformative understanding.
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A Musical Analysis of the Works of Âşık Sadık Doğanay
Within the richness of Turkish folk music and the music in Anatolia, the productions of minstrels, bards, folk song singers and source persons have a very important place in the development of our music culture and richness. Each lover develops and produces within the framework of his personal skills and abilities, the musical characteristics of the region he is in, and also the musical characteristics of the circles he interacts with. Examining and compiling these characteristics contributes to revealing the musical characteristics of that lover, the region and the area. Aşık Sadık Doğanay is also an important resource known both in the region where he is located and in the Anatolian geography with his personal characteristics, skills and talents and what he produces. The fact that he is born blind and that he sees the world with his heart's eye and puts his productions forward with what comes from his heart is another feature of him. His performance in the word, in the reed and with the combination of the two ( playing the reed and singing folk songs) is another important feature of him that can be noticed immediately. In the study, previous studies on the minstrel were examined and the findings and information obtained were tried to be explained from a perspective that had not been looked at before. Makam and musical characteristics of Turkish music, which were not mentioned in previous studies, were identified in Aşık's works and explained with musical expressions such as “makam feature, procedural structure, decision pitch and sound width.
The Role of Human Senses in Instrument Making: Traditional Craftsmanship and Modern Acoustic Analysis of String Instruments
For centuries, master luthiers of bowed and plucked-string instruments relied on their finely trained senses to evaluate the acoustic quality of both raw tonewood and completed instruments. Makers in the traditions of Stradivari and Guarneri commonly tapped wooden components to listen for their natural resonances or gently flexed plates to assess stiffness by touch. Through these intuitive “tap-tone” and material-sensing practices, craftsmen were effectively identifying modal frequencies, mass stiffness relationships, and damping characteristics long before modern measurement tools existed. Today, techniques such as modal analysis, bridge mobility measurements, and sound radiation testing allow these vibrational properties to be quantified with high precision. This study examines the continuity between historical sensory-based evaluation and contemporary experimental methods, highlighting how traditional craftsmanship implicitly captured principles that modern acoustics now measures. By comparing past intuitive approaches with present-day analytical techniques, the study emphasizes that high-quality instrument making depends not only on dimensional parameters but also on the careful assessment of vibrational behavior and sound radiation whether through the ear and hand of the luthier or through scientific instrumentation.
Scientific Analysis of the Musical Culture of Turkic-Speaking Peoples: Problems and Perspectives
The musical culture of Turkic-speaking peoples represents a rich synthesis of centuries-old traditions, ritual systems, and artistic values that reflect their spiritual world and collective identity. The scientific analysis of this musical heritage plays a crucial role in identifying the ethnic-cultural factors and historical stages of its development. However, the main research challenges include the lack of systematic sources, limited notation and classification studies, and methodological inconsistencies in comparative ethnomusicology. Modern approaches — such as digital archiving, interdisciplinary research, and comparative musical analysis — open new perspectives for the study of Turkic musical heritage. This paper discusses the main problems and perspectives of the scientific study of the musical culture of Turkic-speaking peoples in the context of modern ethnomusicology.
It is more than 80 years that Iranian Piano playing with European style has been amalgamated with name and memory of Javad Maroofi on the pages of Iranian contemporary music history. But the place of Javad Maroofi is higher than being remembered as an Iranian piano player only. His name in the history of Iranian contemporary music has acquired many titles which proves his worthiness: pianist, composer, arranger, orchestra Meister, lecturer of Higher National Iranian Music Institute etc. and finally, the author of the first collection of classical Iranian music arranged for the piano in European style; Radif of Iranian Music for Piano. By committing to this difficult task, he further proved that he was an able, talented musician, a caring teacher and an honest person. At the National Music School and after 1979 in his home he taught many students. Pooyan Azadeh is on of his students. The radif, which is considered the framework of Iranian classical music, consists of 7 Dastgah. Mahoor. Homayoon, Segah, Chahargah, Nava, Rastpanjgah,Shoor. Each device contains many Goosheh that have their own unique characteristics. Marouf has used his own special techniques to play the gushes and the instrument, and this article analyzes the techniques, tunings, and writings of this radif. "Radif of Iranian Music for piano" which published in 2023 by P. Azadeh is the main reference of this lecture.
The expression of humanity through the motif of Besa [word of honour] in Albanian songs
In traditional Albanian culture, Besa [word of honour] constitutes one of the essential foundations of the moral and ethical code that determines social, interpersonal, and identity relationships. In this view, Albanian folk music has significantly contributed to the transmission and preservation of humanity through the motif of Besa, turning it into a symbol of collective moral conscience. In the folk songs, Besa is frequently portrayed as a virtue associated with manhood and honor, while embodying a human value reaching beyond gender and social status. In certain instances, it embodies the human sacrifice in the name of goodness, justice, and honesty as forms of humanity. The analysis of the folkloric content reveals that the Kreshniks' [Heroes’] songs, along with ballads and lyrical songs from different Albanian regions, maintain a complex approach to the concept of Besa. At times, it is depicted as a sacred duty to keep one's word; at other times, it signifies a demarcation between honor and disgrace. Additionally, it can be viewed as a virtue that prioritizes significance of life and interpersonal relationships over disputes or individual gains. This paper seeks to demonstrate, through concrete examples, that Besa [word of honour] is not a mere legal or customary concept, but a notion embodying profound ethical dimensions where humanity is expressed through responsibility, empathy, and mutual respect. By examining the role of Besa in the texts of folk music and its influence on shaping traditional morality, the paper highlights that these songs contribute to the preservation, transmission, and actualization of human values within Albanian culture. In this manner, the motif of Besa appears not only as an element of identity but also as a universal representation of human ethics.
«The Fifth Kharkiv»: from dream to mission. Public musicology in wartime: meanings and action
The idea of the existence of the five Kharkivs belongs to the world-famous philologist Yury Shevelyov. He divided the periods of history as follows: pre-university (before 1805), colonial (19th-early 20th centuries), avant-gardes (1920s), Soviet (1960s-1970s). The philologist called the dream of the Fifth Kharkiv the time when the city would feel Ukrainian. Through the idea of Yu. Shevelev, the author of the report observes the development of Kharkiv's musical culture in the 18th-21st centuries and analyzes the processes of 2022-2025. Indeed, the invasion changed a lot in cultural policy, but made Kharkov a new intellectual center. What is the reason? So, in Kharkiv, despite the constant shelling, during all this wartime many cultural events have been taking place. From the inspiring: it`s the KharkivMusikFest, whose concerts took place in the subway a month after the war started, when only in the subway it was safe; - concerts in hospitals, volunteer centres; - an action «Music as opposed to the war»; - a creative landing (a series of concerts in the subway) «Skhid-Opera – to the city-hero Kharkiv»; - these are concerts organized by Sergei Zhadan, a famous writer, translator, musician for the military, children, doctors; - a rock festival «Music of Resistance», which even musicians from other cities came to! In particular, Slavko Vakarchuk, who is now actively supporting the military; - these are the performances of the Kharkiv Puppet Theatre for children in the subway; this is the opening of the Kharkiv Puppet Theatre for visitors directly in the theatre (very difficult, because the sirens-warning of air alarm are constantly on); -it is the project «In the Streets of Kharkiv» by Denis Karatsevtsev (who played near the destroyed buildings and was collecting means for reconstruction with these records); Now our stations are decorated by their creative work. And now ideas and creative projects continue to appear.It's important that now there is almost no situation «art for art's sake», all creative actions are aimed at helping Ukraine. Finally, the Fifth Kharkiv is being formed right now, overcoming all previous challenges, shaping the art of the post-imperial era.
artistic creation during the war або creative work in wartime
Characteristics of Tarzan Kamil Ahmedov in instrumental mugham teaching
This study is dedicated to the investigation of the unique characteristics and styles of the tar playing of Kamil Alisattar oglu Ahmadov, one of the artists who made exceptional contributions to the history of Azerbaijani mugham art in the 20th century, Honored cultural worker, tar player, and mugham connoisseur. The purpose of this study is to analyze preserving the traditions of Azerbaijani mugham performance, ensuring that the performance is easily perceived by the listener, leaving a deep emotional impact on them, and for this, delivering the elements and elements of artistic performance with technical mastery were among the tasks set by teacher Kamil during the teaching process. The presented article provides information about the K.Ahmadov who had extensive historical, theoretical, and practical knowledge about mughams, and those who wanted to prepare textbooks and literature on scientific, artistic, journalistic, and theoretical issues about this art would definitely turn to him. This study is important for musicologists, instrumental tar performers, and those working in relevant fields such as music literature, and can also be used as additional resources in music educational institutions. The findings revealed that the main thing that distinguished teacher Kamil from other mugham performers and tar players was his innovative approach to teaching mugham and his deep knowledge of its teaching methodology. Along with his pedagogical activities, teacher Kamil also served our national musical culture with his extensive educational activities in the field of mugham art. In line with the findings of this study, the importance of The multifaceted development paths of Kamil Ahmadov's life and creativity, his main characteristics, the original, unique performance styles and repertoire he brought to Azerbaijani mugham teaching and performance, his loyalty to classical heritage and tradition, and the analysis of the national and spiritual values brought to our musical history by the work associations that turned into an art school during his communication with the prominent singer Seyid Shushinsky are reflected. For this purpose, the inductive method and a qualitative research design were adopted. Document analysis, one of the qualitative research types, was used as the research model. According to the results; As a tar player, K. Ahmadov was closely involved not only in the practical issues of mugham art, but also in its historical-theoretical, socio-philosophical problems, and made scientific and practical contributions to this field. Kamil Ahmadov also made exceptional contributions to the upbringing of dozens of tar players and singers who, during his time as a performer-pedagogue, play a special role in the socio-cultural life of our state and have been awarded various honorary titles by the state.
Demystifying Chopin’s Préludes Op. 28: Thoughts on a Musical Genre of the Late 18th and Early 19th Centuries and its Theoretical Contexts.
Fryderyk Chopin’s 24 Préludes Op. 28 represent a milestone in the development of the piano prelude. Previous analytical studies of these works are characterised by either highlighting Johann Sebastian Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier as a decisive source of inspiration, sometimes even overemphasising it, and/or mystifying them in view of the density of their musical content and their sometimes cryptic and, at the time of their creation, ultra-modern-seeming musical language (i.e. Leikin 2015 and Tatlow 2020). However, little research has been done on the influence of the art of preluding, which was in decline during Chopin’s lifetime but nevertheless remained alive and widespread and is described in numerous theoretical textbooks of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, has been largely ignored in academic discussions of Chopin’s preludes to this day. In my presentation, I would like to examine music theoretical treatises from the same period that deal with the preluding practice as an essential component of improvisation and highlight key aspects that paved the way for a transformation of the genre of the (secular) piano prelude in the first half of the 19th century (Vierling 1794, Grétry 1801, and Corry, undated [1812?]). By illuminating their music-theoretical context, Chopin’s 24 Préludes Op. 28 will undergo a sober, objective musical analysis that nevertheless seeks in no way to detract from their undeniable depth of poetry and magic
Underrepresented Twice: Spotlighting Unknown Soviet Viola Repertoire by Female Composers and Ethnic Minorities
music by past and present composers of underrepresented backgrounds, aiming to bring historical justice and advocate for equity. In this paper—based on my recent pioneering research of unknown original viola works from the Soviet Era—I will introduce three solo works by Soviet composers, which fell under obscurity both in the West and in the (ex-)USSR territories, mainly due to the composers’ background. First will be introduces the 1985/87 Sonata by the Ukrainian Alexander Shchetynsky (b. 1960), who currently blossoms in Ukraine and Poland but receives a much lesser degree of international recognition. The Sonata is progressive in style, expressionistic, questions traditional hierarchies, and as such falls under the category of ‘unofficial music’ as defined by Peter Schmelz. Following is the 1967 Suite op. 2 by Elena Firsova (b.1950) who currently resides in the UK and was one of the few acclaimed young female composers in the USSR. Her early Suite consists of four short movements, exploring different instrumental and compositional techniques, atonal yet expressive, celebrating the human-voice-like qualities associated with the viola in Soviet scholarship. Concluding the paper is the 1985 Genesis Sonata by Azerbaijani composer Khayyam Mirzazade (1935-2018), who was hailed in his Republic, but never broke through the cultural glass-ceiling elsewhere. Genesis is a monumental piece, powerful in its simplicity, perfectly tailored for the instrument, and reflects the late Soviet peripheral tendency to compose in the style known in the West as ‘world- music.’ The paper calls for the exploration of underrepresented repertoire from times of great repression, under the light of the biblical message that humans were equally created “in His own image” (Genesis 1:27).
Humana as an important part of the aheng in city of Gjakova
This presentation presents the humanism rol in the tradition of aheng for men in the city of Gjakova. The aheng tradition includes a musical repertoire of urban traditional songs and dances, displaying layers of modal-diatonic and modal-chromatic music rooted in the oriental musical culture introduced to the Balkans through Ottoman influence. Who were the early musicians and pioneers of the aheng tradition in Gjakova? Who was the humanist who died without honor and dignity? Who was the musician who taught Ymer Riza to play the sharkia instrument? What were the names of the other musicians on whom the Gjakova aheng was based through Ymer Riza's group? What was the character of the songs and dances in the Gjakova aheng, through which the subtle emotions of the popular creator were most vividly expressed? What unique approaches to diatonic structure and interval extension did they bring to the tradition? Such questions will contribute to the identification of common elements between the tradition of Gjakova's aheng, shaped and preserved by musicians and the imperial musical heritage of South-Eastern Europe.
This paper presents the project conducted during our field research in the villages of Kosovo in 2008, in collaboration with two ethnologist colleagues. The aim of this project was to highlight the values of the country's cultural heritage, particularly the enduring significance of folklore. During our fieldwork, we recorded various rhapsodes who have preserved and transmitted the musical heritage across generations. Additionally, open discussions were held to collect data on song repertoires, types of dances, and the use of traditional musical instruments. In our presentation, several musical pieces recorded directly in the field will be featured, including epic, historical, and lyrical songs, as well as some dance medleys.
Comparative analysis of Uzbek and Chinese national musical instruments
For centuries, the musical art of Uzbekistan has developed in close interaction with various world cultures, primarily those of the East. Of particular interest are the centuries-old cultural ties between the peoples of Uzbekistan and China, which originated during the era of the Great Silk Road and are actively reviving in New Uzbekistan. The close relations between Uzbekistan and China represent an important factor in cultural interaction, the study of which is essential today on the basis of modern research methodologies. The miraculous power of music lies in its universality: it unites people of all nations equally and is accessible to everyone. Even in ancient times, music played a significant role in human life, as people clearly understood its therapeutic potential and its ability to foster an optimistic worldview. Depending on the nature of its emotional impact, various types of music emerged, intended for harmonious living and educational purposes. Folk instrumental music, shaped over centuries through the efforts of many generations, has developed into a unique aesthetic phenomenon of great significance not only for scholarship but also for contemporary musical creativity. Understanding its numerous properties and structural elements opens wide horizons for scientific research. The relevance of the chosen topic lies in the study of Uzbek and Chinese national musical instruments through comparative analysis methodologies, as well as in the development of a model of their interaction and mutual influence. The aim of the study is to identify the similarities and differences between the national musical instruments of Uzbekistan and China, such as the Uzbek chang and the Chinese yangqin, the Uzbek gidjak and the Chinese erhu, the Uzbek ud and the Chinese pipa. Based on the research results, typological similarities between Uzbek and Chinese national instruments have been identified, the processes of their formation over centuries of mutual contact and influence have been revealed, and prospects for further creative cooperation have been outlined.
Music, Technology, and Humanity: A Decolonial Artistic Framework for Reclaiming African Intangible Heritage
Throughout my academic journey, I have noticed that excellence in music scholarship is often evaluated through Eurocentric perspectives. To challenge this epistemic limitation, I turned to my own artistic and indigenous knowledge systems, drawing on Walter Mignolo’s concept of epistemic disobedience to re- imagine African compositional thought. My doctoral research focused on revitalizing Ghanaian-Akan- Mfantse folklore (the Kodzi) by transforming it into visual-programmatic form through a compositional framework I call ‘Asɛmpayɛtsia’—a process that emphasizes cultural excavation, compositional translation, and audiovisual reinscription. This three-part process serves as an artistic research method for reinterpreting intangible cultural heritage within the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). It combines indigenous epistemologies with digital tools to translate oral traditions into modern creative media, thereby bridging tradition and innovation. By situating Asɛmpayɛtsia within the broader conversation on Music, Technology, and Humanity, this presentation explores how technology can function not as an agent of erasure but as a partner in decolonial renewal. The framework ultimately o????ers an alternative to extractive research models, framing composition and storytelling as acts of epistemic recovery and cultural sustainability aligned with UNESCO’s 2003 Convention on Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage and AU Agenda 2063 Aspiration 5.
Building Cultural Bridges: ChopinPianoFEST Prishtina as a Platform for Participation, Inclusion, and Human Connection through Music
Music festivals can transcend artistic presentation to become spaces of learning, empathy, and intercultural dialogue. In post-conflict Kosovo, ChopinPianoFEST Prishtina has evolved since 2009 into one of the most important regional platforms for classical music, connecting artists, educators, students, and audiences. The study examines how this festival functions as a form of music and humanity—a place where artistic excellence intersects with education, participation, and cultural inclusion. The aim is to explore how ChopinPianoFEST fosters human connection and informal music education, and to identify the social meanings emerging from its artistic and community practices. The research model follows a qualitative case study approach combining elements of autoethnography and document analysis. Data sources include festival programs, interviews with artists and participants, media reports, and researcher reflections based on long-term involvement in festival management. The analysis applies thematic coding focused on participation, inclusion, and identity. There are theoretical frameworks and authors that support viewing festivals as human practices that generate social meaning and empathy such as Christopher Small’s concept of musicking (1998) viewing music as social action; David Elliott’s praxial philosophy of music education (1995) emphasizing on human experience and learning through practice and Thomas Turino’s theories on musical participation and community (2008) arguing about participatory versus presentational performance. Findings indicate that the festival operates as a non-formal educational space where professional musicians, students, and audiences engage in shared experiences that strengthen empathy and cultural belonging. Beyond performance, masterclasses and outreach activities cultivate intergenerational learning and dialogue. The study concludes that ChopinPianoFEST demonstrates how classical music initiatives can contribute to social cohesion and cross-cultural understanding. Recommendations emphasize the importance of integrating such festivals into national cultural and educational policies as sustainable platforms for musical and human development.
The Influence of Improvisation on Chopin’s Piano Concerto Op. 21
Chopin was widely recognized as a gifted improviser. Accounts of his improvisations span his entire life, from his early years in Warsaw to his later career in Paris. Contemporary testimonies—including the diaries of George Sand and the notes of Juliusz Seligmann—attest to his extraordinary spontaneous creativity. Julian Fontana even claimed that Chopin’s improvisations often surpassed his written compositions. Although the topic resurfaced in twentieth-century scholarship, the past thirty years have seen significantly increased interest in improvisation, particularly in relation to Chopin’s music. Recent publications offering valuable perspectives include Valerie Woodring Goertzen’s By Way of Introduction: Preluding by 18th and Early 19th Century Pianists (1996), Kenneth Hamilton’s After the Golden Age: Romantic Pianism and Modern Performance (2007), and Dana Gooley’s Fantasies of Improvisation: Free Playing in Nineteenth-Century Music (2018). A review of the literature shows that while both Chopin’s improvisational practice and his piano concertos have been extensively studied, no research has systematically investigated how improvisation shaped the compositional process of the concertos themselves. Over 120 scholarly works address “Chopin and improvisation,” with John Rink’s long-term research—beginning with his dissertation The Evolution of Chopin’s ‘Structural Style’ and Its Relation to Improvisation (1989)—being particularly influential. Existing scholarship primarily focuses on genres traditionally associated with improvisation, such as preludes, impromptus, fantasies, and the Polonaise-Fantaisie, as well as the improvisatory character of nocturnes and mazurkas. Ballades and études are less frequently considered in this context. To date, studies have tended to treat improvisation in Chopin’s work and his piano concertos as separate, though related, subjects. The role of improvisation specifically within the concertos has not yet been examined in a systematic way. This study addresses this gap by outlining the role of improvisation in Chopin’s compositional process and identifying its traces in the Piano Concerto Op. 21.
Zeqirja Ballata: Style and Creative Identity
Abstract The article is dedicated to the composer Zeqirja Ballata, one of the central figures of twentieth-century Albanian art music, whose creative output represents an important meeting point between national tradition and European modernist aesthetics. Through the analysis of his compositional language, the aim is to argue that Ballata constructs an individualized style in which Albanian folk modalities intertwine with contemporary compositional techniques such as serialism, modality, and polystylism, creating a coherent and original artistic expression. The study also addresses the way he conceives folklore not as an ethnographic quotation element, but as a fundamental structure that generates the harmonic, rhythmic, and formal logic of his works. Through comparative analyses with composers such as Béla Bartók, Witold Lutosławski, and Aaron Copland, it is emphasized that Ballata has succeeded in transforming national elements into a modern aesthetic system, continuing the tradition represented by Çesk Zadeja and his generation. His oeuvre presents a balanced synthesis between modernist abstraction and cultural identity, marking a mature phase in the development of contemporary Albanian music and in its integration into the European context.
Do We Still Need Harmony? Personal reflections on the crisis of contemporary studies of music harmony
Recent trends indicate that the research-based study of music is receiving decreasing support at universities with music programs. More specifically, we are increasingly hearing reports of the closure of such academic departments. When we narrow our focus to the field of music theory, the picture becomes even more discouraging. Globally, relatively few specialized university departments and institutes are dedicated to this area. At the same time, while the humanities more broadly are facing a certain degree of disregard, studies on music harmony are experiencing their own crisis of meaning, which is not of recent origin. The transformation of its referential language caused harmony, already about a century ago, to lose its status as a “necessary craft foundation” for composers. Today, it is primarily used as a tool for analyzing classical music, and—though to a lesser extent—popular genres. Particularly concerning is the fact that such responsibilities are increasingly being assigned to inadequately trained personnel, whose competencies in the field of harmony are, at the very least, questionable. However, with the emergence of more recent methodologies—such as Schenkerian analysis, neo-Riemannian theory, and others – the question arises: Do we still truly need harmony? Are we approaching a time when it will be entirely sufficient to feed any composition into a computer system, which—using artificial intelligence—will provide all the necessary answers about a given piece? Has that time, perhaps, already arrived, rendering any form of human analysis obsolete? This paper aims to offer several possible answers to this question, ranging from a nihilistic stance (“harmony is definitely no longer needed”) to a call for a return to the roots (i.e., the renewed practice of methods conventionally regarded as outdated), to the possibility that the truth lies somewhere in between.