Journal of Musicological Research by Hilary Poriss
The Journal of Musicological Research was established in 1973 as Music and Man. Today, in the era... more The Journal of Musicological Research was established in 1973 as Music and Man. Today, in the era of #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter, and in a world shaken to its core by the global COVID19 pandemic, this title represents a startling reminder of a time past when conjoining the words "music" and "man" was meant to suggest inclusivity. Indeed, in the editorial prefacing the inaugural issue, F. Joseph Smith announced that Music and Man, the brainchild of "four daring and courageous men," represented a scholarly endeavor that "takes in all facets of the musical experience." The exclusionary nature of the title, where "music" clearly indicated Western Classical Music, and "man" primarily meant dead white male composers and the white men (and the occasional white woman) who wrote about them, should not be ignored. It is worth noting, however, that the original quartet of editors sought to distinguish this journal from others by creating a space where a wide range of perspectives and expertise could be voiced: "Our purpose is […] to bring together the various facets of music as, e.g. composition and performance, musicology, aesthetics and significant thought about music, in order to appeal to the general musician and reader as a whole person rather than as only a specialist." Despite the misguided original title, in other words, this journal was rooted in the principle of anti-elitism and sought from its beginnings to distance itself from traditional forms of scholarly gatekeeping. When the name was changed to Journal of Musicological Research in 1979, the editors continued to seek out articles representing the "leading edge of contemporary and traditional musicological studies," and over nearly five decades of publication, including the last sixteen years under the dedicated and gifted leadership of Deborah Kauffman, the journal has continued to represent a space where scholars across the full spectrum of musical research have been able to contribute.
Divas, Source Materials by Hilary Poriss
Five letters from Pauline Viardot (1821-1910) to various correspondents, from my private collecti... more Five letters from Pauline Viardot (1821-1910) to various correspondents, from my private collection. Included are facsimile images of the letters and transcriptions of each.
The second installment of letters from Pauline Viardot to the music publisher and director of Le ... more The second installment of letters from Pauline Viardot to the music publisher and director of Le Ménestrel, Jacques-Léopold Heugel (1815-1883). What follows is very bare-bones, consisting only of my transcriptions and translations, completed with help from the brilliant Maurice Bombrun. All of the original letters are available online through the Bibliothèque Nationale and I have prefaced each entry with a direct link so that you can consult the original alongside my work if you wish. Viardot's writing embodies some idiosyncrasies. For instance, she rarely includes hyphens where they should appear (avezvous, voulez-vous, etc.), and accents sometimes appear where they shouldn't. For the most part, I have retained Viardot's original, mistakes and all. I provide the letters here in the order in which they appear on the BNF website. I will post more as I finish them. As always, I am happy to respond to questions, comments, and suggestions. Enjoy!
A letter written by Pauline Viardot Garcia to the publisher Jacques-Léopold Heugel on August 18, ... more A letter written by Pauline Viardot Garcia to the publisher Jacques-Léopold Heugel on August 18, 1878. Includes original, transcription, and English translation.
A hitherto unknown letter by Pauline Viardot written to Louis Diemer on March 16, 1892. Contains ... more A hitherto unknown letter by Pauline Viardot written to Louis Diemer on March 16, 1892. Contains a description of the letter as well as a full transcription, translation, and a picture of the original letter.
This essay contains an excerpt of a memoir, Reminiscences of a Vocal Teacher, by Emi de Bidoli (1... more This essay contains an excerpt of a memoir, Reminiscences of a Vocal Teacher, by Emi de Bidoli (1871-1952), a chapter geared toward instructing people on how to avoid catching colds. Bidoli was a mezzo-soprano, lecturer, and vocal teacher who studied with Aglaja Orgeni (1841-1926) and Pauline Viardot (1821-1910). Her advice is prefaced with a brief biographical sketch of Bidoli's life.
One would assume that of all the leisure activities out there, smoking would probably rank among ... more One would assume that of all the leisure activities out there, smoking would probably rank among the least popular with opera stars. After all, today no singer in his or her right mind would touch tobacco and most vocalists won't even put up with secondary smoke coming within sniffing distance of their vocal cords. But back in the day, before the dangers of cigarette smoking had yet been identified and before aggressive marketing campaigns by cigarette companies had transformed smoking into a glamorous activity, smoking was not uncommon among opera singers (see Allan M. Brandt, The Cigarette Century). Central to cigarette company advertising campaigns were celebrity endorsements, photographs of sports stars, film actors, and yes, even opera singers, looking sultry and gorgeous, puffing on their favorite brands. One of the most beautiful ads features the recently deceased Risë Stevens :
A while back I published an article on the generous spirits, both real and imagined, of 19 th -ce... more A while back I published an article on the generous spirits, both real and imagined, of 19 th -century prima donnas. As often happens, since completing that work I have run across dozens of references to the myriad ways and means by which prima donnas donated to those who were in need. Of course, singers were not the only generous spirits, as I was reminded yesterday while reading a collection letters written by one of the century's most important opera composers: Giacomo Meyerbeer. In a communication to his friend and manager, the publisher Louis Brandus, Meyerbeer tosses this paragraph in among a long list of things he would like Brandus to do: "
Une longue audition d'élevés que je ne pouvais interrompre, me privée dernièrement du plaisir de ... more Une longue audition d'élevés que je ne pouvais interrompre, me privée dernièrement du plaisir de vous recevoir.
Book Reviews by Hilary Poriss
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Journal of Musicological Research by Hilary Poriss
Divas, Source Materials by Hilary Poriss
Book Reviews by Hilary Poriss