Editorial

In the present issue of Musicology (Musicología) an original synthesis of subject-matters makes its appearance. The interest to encourage research on musical aesthetics is related to encouraging contemporary theoretical disscussions about hermeneutics as well as about analytical methodology in approaching musical works. While this kind of discussion is – internationally – in a renaissance-like flush, in Greece there is still a lack of publications concerning our fields. Contemporary musical aesthetic thought is developed in Greece for several years. Musical aesthetic theories are taught in university over a decade and in the Music Department of the University of Athens the fields of aesthetics, sociology and philosophy of music were included in courses at the very beginning of its existence. Despite all this, there is an inadequate lack of relevant literature in Greek. It is also noteworthy that to date there are no publications of translated works that are commonly recognized as classics in musical aesthetic theory. Considering the necessary conditions for study and research in our fields, we underline the need for valid translations of works that are classic in the fields of musicology and musical aesthetics, as a basis for substantial stimulating writing and research.

This is why in this issue appears paragraph 52 from a work that is considered to be a classic manifestation of the aesthetics of romanticism, namely Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung by Arthur Schopenhauer (translated by Markos Tsetsos). Several articles, approaching romanticism and its relations to contemporary music, by different points of view and on various levels, are also included in this issue (by Markos Tsetsos, Ion Zottos, Michalis Lapidakis, Anastasios Hapsulas).

Another subject-matter is approached by the articles of Markos Dragoumis and Katy Romanou. These two articles contribute in research on modern Greek music, while the article written by George Zervos is oriented to the musicological and aesthetic problems emerging by the concept about “satisfactory development”.

Studies on sociology and aesthetics of music, concerning concrete musical phenomena, based on personal research and scientific interest about compositional creative perception and socio-cultural aspects of music – by Greek authors – have been rare. Two texts on sociological considerations about music and on the relation between sociology of music and musicology appeared in the previous issue: the introduction to the Musik im Wandel der Gesellschaft by Kurt Blaukopf (translated by Alexandros Baltzis), and an article by A. Baltzis concerning the same subject. In the current issue appear two articles (by Savas Patsalidis and Minas Alexiadis) that investigate the phenomenon of afro-american musical culture from different points of view.

In the present issue we have the honor to present the speech given by Constantin Floros – professor of Musicology in Universität Hamburg – during his award as an honorary Doctor from the Music Department of the University of Athens on 2/2/1999. The new Department of Music in Athens University has awarded as honorary Doctors several important researchers and creators: Simon Karas, Spyridon Peristeris, Mikis Theodorakis, John G. Papaioannou and George Sisilianos. Constantin Floros is the first musicologist, professor in a university, recognized by a Greek university as a scholar with international prestige in a rare for our country academic field, like musicology.

Due to the relatively late foundation of Departments of Music, Greek musicologists and compositors of his generation had to work mainly in the independent research and artistic field or in other – also important – institutions, apart from universities.

Due to these peculiarities, the difficulties in the process of integrating European musicology and aesthetics in our country are also difficulties to integrate a multi-dimensional and internationally recognized work, such as the work of Floros, that extends to various fields approaching important methodological aspects of the relation between musicology and philology, philosophy, psychology and semiotics. In this way, aesthetics of music is related to the hermeneutic approach of musical creation.

It is up to us to encourage and stimulate this work in our country by contributing with critical reviews and translations and by integrating it in discussions about methodology, developed in adademic seminars. The text published in the current issue is – mainly – about humanistic aspects of music.

The synthesis of various subjects in the current issue aims to encourage new authors in our fields and to broaden our vision with new subjects, necessary for a complete discussion on musical aesthetics. Texts, which have been announced, are included in plans for the next issues.

Postscript: By completing the publishing work on the current issue, the death of an outstanding Greek musicologist – John G. Papaioannou – occured on 3/2/2000. Musicology is publishing a text by I. Zottos in memoriam. A next issue will be dedicated to the work of J. G. Papaioannou about Contemporary Music.

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