Danese Giacomo. Music, Aesthetics and Literature in the first half of Twentieth Century: Stefan George and the revolutionary output of the Second Viennese School.
This research aims to investigate the relationship between music and text in the first half of the twentieth century from both an aesthetic and an analytical perspective. The possible combinations between the two languages are examined and discussed starting from the specific output of the authors belonging to the Second Viennese School, with particular attention to the influence of the figure and poetics of Stefan George. Many composers of the Vienna School have tackled George’s poetry, including Arnold Schönberg, Anton Webern, Erich Apostel, and Theodor W. Adorno (Lieder op. 1 and op. 7), who, referring to Webern’s George-Lieder op. 3 and 4 in 1959, wrote: “Sie zählen wohl zum Vollkommensten, was der neuen Musik überhaupt beschieden war” (––, Anton von Webern in GS 16, p. 115).
De Pillecyn Jurgen. The Traité d’harmonie by Paul Gilson (1865–1942) as an artistic credo.
Since the publication of Gaston Brenta’s biography of Paul Gilson (1926/1965), various music history contributions have appeared on Gilson’s importance to Belgian musical life. However, there is a lack of music-theoretical studies, especially on his pedagogical vision. This is partly due to the lack of study material, publications and manuscripts, but also to the unsubstantiated way in which he was often portrayed as a composer, e.g. as “conservative” or “dry.” This research project focuses on what may be called the basic constituent of Gilson’s composing, harmony and its interrelationship with other musical parameters.
This study will compare the originality of Gilson’s concept with that of other important composer-theorists such as Vincent d’Indy and Charles Koechlin. His attitude toward the academism of classical harmony teaching and the modernism of the early twentieth century will also be scrutinized, especially his estimation of Claude Debussy. Especially in the Traité d’harmonie (1919–26) Gilson’s pedagogical and compositional vision seems to have crystallized. It examines how he builds up the study of harmony, what method he employs in introducing new subject matter. The topicality is also examined. Special attention is paid to the exercises for students, where Gilson insists on a clear tonal foundation with plenty of room for innovation. Without harboring revolutionary ambitions, Gilson succeeds in placing the classical musical heritage in a new light.
Van Den Buys Kristin. Belgian/Flemish Music Modernism in the Interwar Period
Artistic and scientific musicological research projects are centred around two major themes:
1. Exploring and disclosing the Belgian/Flemish and international 19th and 20th century repertoire
This theme focuses on the period from ca. 1800 to 1950, which is often neglected both in terms of performances and scientific research. Specifically, this means disclosing forgotten yet valuable scores in libraries and archives, selecting relevant ones, preparing scores for performance, critical score editing, recordings and performances. Scientific study of the context of musical life is combined with historically informed performance practice. The output of this research theme comprises music recordings, accompanying booklets, critical score publications, study days, lecture-recitals, etc. This research theme includes the PhD's of Kurt Bertels (2020), Ioannis Efstathopoulos (2021), Andreas Van Zoelen (2021) and Luc Vertommen (scheduled for June 2022).
In addition to these PhDs, the research on the former broadcasting music library is another focal point. In collaboration with Johan Eeckeloo, KCB librarian, the BOO (Sheet Music Public Broadcasting) project was designed, and funded by the Flemish government. This project allows for preparatory archiving work to bring the rich music library of the former public broadcast institute, to KCB. Research work is also currently being carried out on this repertoire, namely Flemish radio plays during the interwar period. This is entirely in line with the research into the history of the former Public Broadcast Institute (NIR/INR) and its musical life (see also Van den Buys & Segers, 2013, Het Orkest: Van radiorkest tot Brussels Philharmonic in Flagey, Lannoo Campus).
2. Brussels, a crossroad for French, German and Russian musical modernism in the interwar period
This theme on musical modernism during the interwar period, the related history of Brussels concert societies and radio history, continues the subject of Van de Buys' doctoral thesis in terms of questions and issues. International publications include, among others, the importance of musical modernism in the former Public Broadcast Institute (NIR/INR) during the interwar period, an analysis of the concept and reception history of musical modernism in Belgium, and Prokofiev in Belgium.
Cultural Studies, Musicology & Library Studies
The research group Cultural Studies, Musicology & Library Studies covers scholarly research in historical musicology carried out by musicologists and music theorists as well as historians and musicians.
First, there is significant attention for the own patrimony and the disclosing of the rich historical collection of the library of the Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel under the direction of head librarian Johan Eeckeloo. Furthermore, the research group focuses on the study of the music history of Brussels and Flanders in the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, and this on (1) individual composers such as Paul Gilson and Victor Legley; (2) the institutional context of musical life such as the history of the Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel (including the library and a number of instrument classes), of the Belgian public broadcasting network (the NIR/INR, BRT, VRT) with its orchestral landscape, and of the Koninklijke Muntschouwburg; (3) genres such as Flemish radio plays.
In 2021, a research cluster on music and language was also established, focusing mainly on the word-tone relationship in vocal music. In a first phase the group will focus on the Second Viennese School and in a second phase this will evolve to French vocal music of the fin-de-siècle.