The “Wild Beauty” of Brahms’s Rhapsodies, Op. 79. Structural Analysis and Comparative Analysis of Performances

"The present paper focuses on the Two Rhapsodies, Op. 79 which, along with Op. 119 No. 4, form the triad of Brahms’s rhapsodies for piano. Devised according to the ancient notion of the rhapsody, with the development of the epic tension, these works evoke the “Charites and the Heroes”, following the technical and compositional patterns laid out in the piano miniatures in Op. 76, at the same time, recalling the ideas that lay at the basis of the Ballads Op. 10. In the first part of the paper, aspects regarding the analysis of the structure are revealed, the aim of the research being the disclosure of the constituting structure, which will inspire the performing artist to convey and reveal the composer’s intentions. A system of structural ramification has been made, starting from the overall image to the smallest details, represented in tables that contain the following aspects: structure, main structural elements, thematic material, tonal scheme. Within the analysis, the harmonic and rhythmic dimensions will be indicated as well. The second objective of the research concerns three important renditions of pianists Radu Lupu, Martha Argerich, and Murray Perahia – three distinct conceptions regarding the performance, the style, and technique as well. Elements pertaining to the following dimensions will be observed: agogic accents and dynamics, phrasing, tempo, faithfulness towards the score, the identification of attack techniques, touch of the keys, and use of pedals, along with the resulting sonority and the semantic connotations of the sound. Keywords: Brahms, piano, Rhapsodies Op. 79, structural analysis, comparative analysis "

Dance, Expertise, and Sensorimotor Aesthetics

The article reviewed in this chapter discusses how questions initially originated in cognitive neuroscience can be answered with collaborations with nonscientific disciplines, such as performing arts. The author describes the first study that showed dancer’s brain activity when observing dance movements. By investigating how the expert brain works, they demonstrated the important role of sensorimotor processing for movement perception, emotion perception, and aesthetic judgment. This work opened a channel of communication between neuroscientists and performing artists, enabling conversations that have generated novel questions of interest to both disciplines. The chapter discusses three fundamental insights: the importance of prior experience for perception, the importance of motor representations for perception, and the existence of a system for embodied aesthetics. Finally, the author provides some consideration on neuroscientists’ capacity to dissect the aesthetic experience and how this knowledge can be absorbed by the performing artist during the artistic and choreographic process.

Bhagavatamela during the Maratha Period of Tanjore

Our Tamil land has a rich history of art and culture. The popularly known ‘Muthamizh’ namely ‘Iyal’ – text or poetry, ‘Isai’ – music and ‘Nadagam’ – theatre has undergone various changes over a period of time due to various social and political factors in the society. Nevertheless, there are few art forms which follow the tradition with its original flavour. One such is the ‘Bhagavata Mela Nadakam’ which is an art form systemized during the Marata’s empire. This research work talks about it in detail. Marata’s period (17th to 19th century AD) is believed to be the glorious period for many art forms. During this period Bhagavata Mela gained its popularity with the patronage of the kings. With the support of literary evidences this research work aims at a detailed study of the patronage extended by the kings and about the growth of Bhagavata Mela and how it was systemized. Marata period plays a very important role for the growth of ‘Bhagavata Mela’. This work gives a detailed study on the systematic approach followed in Bhagavata Mela. An authority supervised the performing artist. There were certain rules to be strictly followed by the artist. They were honored with various titles and gifts, even with pieces of land sometimes. The Bhagavata Mela artists were also appointed as poets in King’s court during the Marata period. There are more such interesting facts. This research deals with the complete study of the evolution and growth of the Bhavata Mela during the Marata period including such interesting information.

Teaching the Whole Musician

This book offers applied music instructors a practical guide for supporting their students’ wellness by integrating holistic techniques into their pedagogy. The main argument in this book is that the mentorship dynamic within the applied studio situates pedagogues in a unique position to guide and mentor their students toward a healthy and satisfying artistic life. Wellness, as a relatively new dimension within health education for musicians, can be intimidating for applied instructors. Many teachers lack the training and confidence to enter conversations in this arena. Grounded in recent research, coupled with extensive in-person interviews with students, faculty, and healthcare professionals, this book demystifies the causes, challenges, and limiting factors around maintaining a healthy artistic practice, while revealing practical solutions for achieving and maintaining wellness as a performing artist. Each chapter includes a toolkit of practical exercises and activities that can be easily integrated within the applied lesson. Topics covered include injury prevention, alignment and the breathing mechanism, mental health, contemplative practices, Laban Movement Analysis, nutrition, and sleep.

Athlete medicine applied in a pandemic: disparities among athletes and performers reveal the need for a true ‘revolution’ in health care

While society watches athletes and artists on a screen during the COVID-19 pandemic, some proponents tout ‘normalcy’ as the moment live in-action play resumes again. However, when we ‘see’ these athletes, are we truly seeing them? Failing to understand and address athletes’ adversity faced during this pandemic amidst social pressures to return to play under a preconceived notion of ‘normal’ commoditises athletes; instead, we must humanise them while recognising additional burdens they bear amidst unmet healthcare needs. Athletes and performers represent a unique population; they stand at the intersection of racial and socioeconomic health inequity and societal expectations for entertainment. Returning to the field or stage suddenly, unscathed by effects of global viral and racial pandemics, is impossible. Instead, athletes face resuming play with a sobering realisation the pursuit of health is not fulfilled with the same tenacity for everyone. This editorial is to raise awareness to disparities that exist for athletes and performing artist athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Die Maske abgenommen

Peter Truschner's Die Maske abgenommen (The Mask Taken Off) is an inventory of the delicate relationship between artist and model, the like of which have never been seen before. The text spans an arc from antiquity to the current relationship between the sexes at eye level, from Virginia Woolf and Simone de Beauvoir to Ludwig Wittgenstein and Gerhard Richter. Jacques Rivette's film »La Belle Noiseuse«, starring Michel Piccoli and Emmanuelle Béart, serves as a guide. The text derives its particular charm from the fact that Peter Truschner not only reflects on the special circumstances of this collaboration, but also knows them firsthand and brings them to light: he is not only a writer, but also a photographic artist. For his new book of photographs, »She stood there a Loaded Gun,« he together with the performing artist Anna Petzer spent more than three years exploring the various facets of a complex, female persona.

Energy Availability with or without Eating Disorder Risk in Collegiate Female Athletes and Performing Artists

CONTEXT: Female athletes/performing artists can present with low energy availability (LEA) either through unintentional (e.g., inadvertent undereating) or intentional methods (e.g., eating disorder [ED]). While LEA and ED risk have been examined independently, little research has examined these simultaneously. Awareness of LEA with or without ED risk may provide clinicians with innovative prevention and intervention strategies. OBJECTIVE: To examine LEA with or without ED risk (e.g., eating attitudes, pathogenic behaviors) in female collegiate athletes/performing artists. DESIGN: Cross-sectional and descriptive. SETTING: Free-living in sport-specific settings. PARTICIPANTS: Collegiate female athletes/performing artist (n=121; age: 19.8±2.0 years; height: 168.9±7.7 cm; weight: 63.6±9.26 kg) in equestrian (n=28), volleyball (n=12), softball (n=17), beach volleyball (n=18), ballet (n=26) and soccer (n=20) participated in this study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Anthropometric measurements (height, weight, body composition), resting metabolic rate, energy intake, total daily energy expenditure, exercise energy expenditure, Eating Disorder Inventory-3 (EDI-3), and EDI-3 Symptom Checklist were assessed. Chi-square analysis examined differences between LEA and sport type, LEA and ED risk, ED risk and sport type, and pathogenic behaviors and sport type. RESULTS: Female athletes/performing artists (81%; n=98) displayed LEA and significant differences were found between LEA and sport type (χ25=43.8, P<.01). Female athletes/performing artists (76.0%; n=92) presented with ED risk with no significant difference between ED risk and sport. EDI-3 Symptom Checklist revealed 61.2% (n=74) engaged in pathogenic behaviors, with dieting the most common (51.2%; n=62). Athletes/performing artist displayed LEA with ED risk (76.0%; n=92). No significant differences were found between LEA with ED risk and sport. Softball was the highest with 82.4% (n=14) reporting LEA with ED risk followed by ballet (76%; n=19). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest a large proportion of collegiate female athletes/performing artists are at risk for LEA with ED risk, thus warranting education, identification, prevention, and intervention strategies relative to fueling for performance.

Between Faqīr and Fankār? Sounding Complex Subjectivities through Shah Jo Rāg in Sindh, Pakistan

Rāgī faqīrs are devotees who perform Shah Jo Rāg, a musical tradition for singing Sufi poetry at the shrine of poet-mystic Shāh ‘Abdul Latīf Bhiṭṭāī (1689–1752) in Sindh, Pakistan. Focusing on the life experiences of my teacher Manthār Faqīr, I historicise various subject positions that contemporary rāgī faqīrs refer to as faqīr (devotee), fankār (performing artist), kārīgar (skilled artisan), and artist. Through Manthār Faqīr’s performances, I analyse sonic manifestations of his complex subjectivities that at times shift, at times coexist, to demonstrate how he deploys sounded strategies emerging from different subject positions to balance devotion, artistry, legitimacy, and livelihood.