Searches for Tradition: Past and Present in New Zealand Music

Paperback / softback

Main Details

Title Searches for Tradition: Past and Present in New Zealand Music
Authors and Contributors      Edited by Michael Brown
Edited by Samantha Owens
Physical Properties
Format:Paperback / softback
Pages:296
Category/GenreMusic
Literature - history and criticism
Literary studies - classical, early and medieval
ISBN/Barcode 9781776561773
ClassificationsDewey:780.993
Audience
General

Publishing Details

Publisher Te Herenga Waka University Press
Imprint Victoria University Press
Publication Date 14 December 2017
Publication Country New Zealand

Description

In Douglas Lilburn's famous address to the 1946 Cambridge Summer School of Music, the composer described his `search for tradition' in the music of New Zealand and spelled out his hopes that a distinctive art music might yet emerge here. Sixty years on, this collection of scholarly essays brings together various perspectives on what `tradition' means in the context of the music of Aotearoa New Zealand. Searches for Tradition presents case studies drawn from a broad spectrum of genres, cultures and historical periods, from investigations of New Zealand's colonial music to fresh consideration of Lilburn's legacy, from corners of the jazz scene to the contemporary revitalization of taonga puoro. The focus on `tradition' leads in some instances to critical issues of nationalism and biculturalism, while others uncover little-discussed aspects of local music history, performance practice or composition. It will be stimulating reading for all enthusiasts of New Zealand music's past, present and future. Contributors: Michael Brown, Melissa Cross, Fiona McAlpine, Norman Meehan, Elizabeth Nichol, Michael Norris, Samantha Owens, Anthony Ritchie, Valance Smith, Awhina Tamarapa, Ariana Tikao, Nick Tipping, Peter Walls, Aleisha Ward, Jenny Wollerman.

Author Biography

Michael Brown is Curator Music at the Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington. Samantha Owens is Associate Professor of Musicology at Victoria University.