CENSORSHIP, CONTROL, AND COMPLIANCE IN BYZANTINE MUSICOLOGY IN COMMUNIST ROMANIA Cover Image

CENSORSHIP, CONTROL, AND COMPLIANCE IN BYZANTINE MUSICOLOGY IN COMMUNIST ROMANIA
CENSORSHIP, CONTROL, AND COMPLIANCE IN BYZANTINE MUSICOLOGY IN COMMUNIST ROMANIA

Author(s): Cătălin Cernătescu
Subject(s): History, Philosophy, Special Branches of Philosophy, Special Historiographies:, History of Communism, Philosophy of History
Published by: NEW EUROPE COLLEGE - Institute for Advanced Studies
Keywords: Byzantine musicology; sacred chant; censorship; ideology;

Summary/Abstract: My paper examines censorship and control in Byzantine musicology during the communist regime in Romania. The investigation draws upon archive materials from the Romanian Composers and Musicologists Union which reveal a previously unknown narrative. Within these records, covering the years 1950 to 1989, I unearthed unpublished accounts on Byzantine musicology and on scholars writing on church chant. In addition to identifying explicit instances of censorship, I have sought evidence for the compliance with the policies that heavily restricted the use of theological vocabulary. Furthermore, I have examined how musicologists outside such expert groups engaged with the research conducted by their peers. Through this pursuit, I aim to enhance the understanding of how specialists in sacred chant navigated the intricate landscape of cultural dynamics during a tumultuous historical period.

  • Issue Year: 1/2024
  • Issue No: 21
  • Page Range: 9-45
  • Page Count: 37
  • Language: English
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