BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

12/10/2007

Dialogue Of Cultures And Traditions: A New CD "Music Of Belarus Of The 19th Century"

The project "The Music of Belarus of the 19th century: Dialogues of Cultures and Traditions" has been implemented on the initiative of the National Commission of the Republic of Belarus for UNESCO with the financial support of the UNESCO Moscow Office.

"The Music of Belarus of the 19th Century: Dialogues of Cultures and Traditions" is a set of 2 CDs with the recordings of 36 pieces of music written by 13 composers who lived in the 19th century and were closely connected with Belarus. Attached to the set is a booklet containing general information about the music of that period and composers.

The project is in line with UNESCO priorities in the field of safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage. Many composers of the 19th century were educated outside Belarus and thus were influenced by various musical traditions (French, Italian, Russian, German and Polish). Upon their return to Belarus they not only avoided antagonism of cultures in their work, but managed to combine features common to all Slavic musical tradition with those of Western and Eastern European, thus continuing tradition of Belarus' music, which in the previous centuries had been also influenced by various European musical trends.

Thanks to "the dialogue of many cultures," which had a strong presence on the territory of Belarus due to the political and geographical circumstances, it was possible not only preserve the local musical tradition but, although it may seem contradictory, to enhance its identity resulting in the rapid development of the professional music in the 20th century.

This project was important because it promotes dissemination of knowledge about the culture of Belarus both inside and outside of the country as well as because of the necessity to preserve and restore the old recordings, which are nowadays under the threat of being destroyed and disappeared.

The project has been implemented by the State Museum of History of Music and Theatre of the Republic of Belarus together with the Academy of Music of Belarus.

A presentation of the CDs took place on 27 September 2007 at the State Museum of History of Music and Theatre of the Republic of Belarus as a part of the Music of Old Country Estates Festival that had been initiated by the National Commission for UNESCO, Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Belarus, Belarusian State Institute for Culture Issues, and Belarusian Culture Foundation. They were also presented at a round table meeting devoted to the music of old country estates, which was attended by experts from Belarus, Lithuania, Russia and Ukraine, in the music school in the city of Zaslavl and during the concert of chamber music in the city of Pastavy.

The CDs will be disseminated among museums, libraries, musical educational institutions free-of-charge.

It is expected that the CDs released under the project "Music of Belarus of the19th century: Dialogues of Cultures and Traditions" will find a good use among experts in classical music, music lovers, mass media and others thus promoting Belarus' musical tradition of the 19th century and dialogue of cultures.

Source:

http://www.unesco.ru/eng/articles/2004/Valya12102007150521.php