Sacha Stern
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198270348
- eISBN:
- 9780191600753
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198270348.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
Traces the development of the Jewish calendar—how months and years were reckoned—from its earliest descriptions in the second century b.c.e. until it reached, in the tenth century c.e., to its ...
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Traces the development of the Jewish calendar—how months and years were reckoned—from its earliest descriptions in the second century b.c.e. until it reached, in the tenth century c.e., to its present form. Solar and lunar calendars are attested in the early period, but by the first century c.e., the Jewish calendar had become predominantly lunar. A wide range of sources (literary, documentary/epigraphic, Jewish, Graeco‐Roman, and Christian) reveals, however, that Jewish communities in Palestine and the diaspora reckoned their lunar calendar independently from one another, and hence, would often celebrate the same festivals at different times. This diversity persisted until the end of antiquity, although some general trends can be identified. Until the first century c.e., Jewish lunar calendars tended to be late in relation to the solar year, and Passover would always occur after the spring equinox; whereas, by the fourth century, intercalations were adjusted in such a way that Passover was frequently earlier. In the fourth century, moreover, many communities began to calculate the day of the new moon instead of relying on observation of the new crescent, as had previously been the norm. The change from observation to calculation is particularly evident in the case of the rabbinic calendar, for which there is more evidence than any other Jewish calendar. Largely under pressure from the Babylonian rabbinic community, the rabbinic calendar gradually evolved from the third century c.e. into a fixed, calculated calendar, which became dominant in the Jewish world by the tenth century. The general evolution of the Jewish calendar throughout our period, from considerable diversity (solar and lunar calendars) to unity (a single, normative rabbinic calendar), can be explained as epitomizing the emerging solidarity and communitas of the Jewish communities of late antiquity and the early medieval world.Less
Traces the development of the Jewish calendar—how months and years were reckoned—from its earliest descriptions in the second century b.c.e. until it reached, in the tenth century c.e., to its present form. Solar and lunar calendars are attested in the early period, but by the first century c.e., the Jewish calendar had become predominantly lunar. A wide range of sources (literary, documentary/epigraphic, Jewish, Graeco‐Roman, and Christian) reveals, however, that Jewish communities in Palestine and the diaspora reckoned their lunar calendar independently from one another, and hence, would often celebrate the same festivals at different times. This diversity persisted until the end of antiquity, although some general trends can be identified. Until the first century c.e., Jewish lunar calendars tended to be late in relation to the solar year, and Passover would always occur after the spring equinox; whereas, by the fourth century, intercalations were adjusted in such a way that Passover was frequently earlier. In the fourth century, moreover, many communities began to calculate the day of the new moon instead of relying on observation of the new crescent, as had previously been the norm. The change from observation to calculation is particularly evident in the case of the rabbinic calendar, for which there is more evidence than any other Jewish calendar. Largely under pressure from the Babylonian rabbinic community, the rabbinic calendar gradually evolved from the third century c.e. into a fixed, calculated calendar, which became dominant in the Jewish world by the tenth century. The general evolution of the Jewish calendar throughout our period, from considerable diversity (solar and lunar calendars) to unity (a single, normative rabbinic calendar), can be explained as epitomizing the emerging solidarity and communitas of the Jewish communities of late antiquity and the early medieval world.
Cesar Lombardi Barber
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691149523
- eISBN:
- 9781400839858
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691149523.001.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, Criticism/Theory
This book argues that Elizabethan seasonal festivals such as May Day and Twelfth Night are the key to understanding Shakespeare's comedies. Interweaving anthropology, social history, and literary ...
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This book argues that Elizabethan seasonal festivals such as May Day and Twelfth Night are the key to understanding Shakespeare's comedies. Interweaving anthropology, social history, and literary criticism, the book traces the inward journey—psychological, bodily, spiritual—of the comedies: from confusion, raucous laughter, aching desire, and aggression, to harmony. Revealing the interplay between social custom and dramatic form, the book shows how the Elizabethan antithesis between everyday and holiday comes to life in the comedies' combination of seriousness and levity. “I have been led into an exploration of the way the social form of Elizabethan holidays contributed to the dramatic form of festive comedy. To relate this drama to holiday has proved to be the most effective way to describe its character. And this historical interplay between social and artistic form has an interest of its own: we can see here, with more clarity of outline and detail than is usually possible, how art develops underlying configurations in the social life of a culture.” This new edition includes a foreword that discusses the author's influence on later scholars and the recent critical disagreements that the author has inspired, showing that this book is as vital today as when it was originally published.Less
This book argues that Elizabethan seasonal festivals such as May Day and Twelfth Night are the key to understanding Shakespeare's comedies. Interweaving anthropology, social history, and literary criticism, the book traces the inward journey—psychological, bodily, spiritual—of the comedies: from confusion, raucous laughter, aching desire, and aggression, to harmony. Revealing the interplay between social custom and dramatic form, the book shows how the Elizabethan antithesis between everyday and holiday comes to life in the comedies' combination of seriousness and levity. “I have been led into an exploration of the way the social form of Elizabethan holidays contributed to the dramatic form of festive comedy. To relate this drama to holiday has proved to be the most effective way to describe its character. And this historical interplay between social and artistic form has an interest of its own: we can see here, with more clarity of outline and detail than is usually possible, how art develops underlying configurations in the social life of a culture.” This new edition includes a foreword that discusses the author's influence on later scholars and the recent critical disagreements that the author has inspired, showing that this book is as vital today as when it was originally published.
Teofilo F. Ruiz
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691153575
- eISBN:
- 9781400842247
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691153575.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
This book examines the scripting and performance of festivals in Spain between 1327 and 1620, offering an unprecedented look at the different types of festivals that were held in Iberia during this ...
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This book examines the scripting and performance of festivals in Spain between 1327 and 1620, offering an unprecedented look at the different types of festivals that were held in Iberia during this crucial period of European history. Bridging the gap between the medieval and early modern eras, the book focuses on the travels and festivities of Philip II, exploring the complex relationship between power and ceremony, and offering a vibrant portrait of Spain's cultural and political life. The book covers a range of festival categories and probes the ritual meanings of these events, paying special attention to the use of colors and symbols, and to the power relations articulated through these festive displays. It argues that the fluid and at times subversive character of medieval festivals gave way to highly formalized and hierarchical events reflecting a broader shift in how power was articulated in late medieval and early modern Spain. Yet the book contends that these festivals, while they sought to buttress authority and instruct different social orders about hierarchies of power, also served as sites of contestation, dialogue, and resistance. The book sheds new light on Iberian festive traditions and their unique role in the centralizing state in early modern Castile.Less
This book examines the scripting and performance of festivals in Spain between 1327 and 1620, offering an unprecedented look at the different types of festivals that were held in Iberia during this crucial period of European history. Bridging the gap between the medieval and early modern eras, the book focuses on the travels and festivities of Philip II, exploring the complex relationship between power and ceremony, and offering a vibrant portrait of Spain's cultural and political life. The book covers a range of festival categories and probes the ritual meanings of these events, paying special attention to the use of colors and symbols, and to the power relations articulated through these festive displays. It argues that the fluid and at times subversive character of medieval festivals gave way to highly formalized and hierarchical events reflecting a broader shift in how power was articulated in late medieval and early modern Spain. Yet the book contends that these festivals, while they sought to buttress authority and instruct different social orders about hierarchies of power, also served as sites of contestation, dialogue, and resistance. The book sheds new light on Iberian festive traditions and their unique role in the centralizing state in early modern Castile.
David Albert Jones
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199213009
- eISBN:
- 9780191707179
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199213009.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
This chapter examines the clergy's core task of leading worship in their parishes. It explores the evidence about Sunday services, about how frequently they were held, the manner in which they were ...
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This chapter examines the clergy's core task of leading worship in their parishes. It explores the evidence about Sunday services, about how frequently they were held, the manner in which they were conducted, the conscientiousness or not of the clergy, the frequency of weekday services, and the frequency and manner of celebrating Holy Communion. The extent of the participation of lay people in conducting worship is examined, especially in terms of music, in choirs, and the attitude of the clergy to this. The observation of Church fasts and festivals is examined, as well as the involvement of clergy in communal celebrations, such as fairs and friendly societies. The role of the clergy in churchings, baptisms, and weddings, including ‘clandestine marriage’, involving more or less serious legal irregularities in conducting a marriage, is investigated.Less
This chapter examines the clergy's core task of leading worship in their parishes. It explores the evidence about Sunday services, about how frequently they were held, the manner in which they were conducted, the conscientiousness or not of the clergy, the frequency of weekday services, and the frequency and manner of celebrating Holy Communion. The extent of the participation of lay people in conducting worship is examined, especially in terms of music, in choirs, and the attitude of the clergy to this. The observation of Church fasts and festivals is examined, as well as the involvement of clergy in communal celebrations, such as fairs and friendly societies. The role of the clergy in churchings, baptisms, and weddings, including ‘clandestine marriage’, involving more or less serious legal irregularities in conducting a marriage, is investigated.
Ronald Hutton
- Published in print:
- 1996
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198205708
- eISBN:
- 9780191676758
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198205708.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Medieval History, British and Irish Early Modern History
From the Twelve Days of Christmas to the Spring traditions of Valentine, Shrovetide, and Easter eggs, through May Day revels and Midsummer fires, and on to the waning of the year, Harvest Home, and ...
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From the Twelve Days of Christmas to the Spring traditions of Valentine, Shrovetide, and Easter eggs, through May Day revels and Midsummer fires, and on to the waning of the year, Harvest Home, and Halloween, this book takes us on a journey through the ritual year in Britain. It presents the results of a comprehensive study that covers all the British Isles and the whole sweep of history from the earliest written records to the present day. Great and lesser, ancient and modern, whether performed by Christians or pagans, all rituals are treated with the same attention. The result is an account that illuminates the history of the calendar we live by, and challenges many commonly held assumptions about the customs of the past and the festivals of the present. The first work to cover the full span of British rituals, the book challenges the work of specialists from the late Victorian period onwards, reworking our picture of the field and raising issues for historians of every period.Less
From the Twelve Days of Christmas to the Spring traditions of Valentine, Shrovetide, and Easter eggs, through May Day revels and Midsummer fires, and on to the waning of the year, Harvest Home, and Halloween, this book takes us on a journey through the ritual year in Britain. It presents the results of a comprehensive study that covers all the British Isles and the whole sweep of history from the earliest written records to the present day. Great and lesser, ancient and modern, whether performed by Christians or pagans, all rituals are treated with the same attention. The result is an account that illuminates the history of the calendar we live by, and challenges many commonly held assumptions about the customs of the past and the festivals of the present. The first work to cover the full span of British rituals, the book challenges the work of specialists from the late Victorian period onwards, reworking our picture of the field and raising issues for historians of every period.
Axel Michaels
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195343021
- eISBN:
- 9780199866984
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195343021.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Hinduism
The book deals with festivals and rituals at the Nepalese Paśupatnātha Temple located in Deopatan, the City of (all) Gods, and the Paśupatikṣetra, the “Field of Paśupati.” Paśupati, a form of Śiva, ...
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The book deals with festivals and rituals at the Nepalese Paśupatnātha Temple located in Deopatan, the City of (all) Gods, and the Paśupatikṣetra, the “Field of Paśupati.” Paśupati, a form of Śiva, is regarded as the tutelary and protective deity of Nepal and his temple as both national and sacred monument that has since many centuries attracted thousands of pilgrims from India. After introducing the temple, its history, organisation and vicinity, all major festivals connected to it are thoroughly described and examined. The material used by the author includes mythological and eulogising texts, chronicles, inscriptions and elaborate field‐work studies. The book also deals with religious conflicts between different forms of Hinduism as well as with religious identities and contested priesthood. Due to the strength of various tantrically worshipped goddesses in Deopatan, Śiva comes under ritual pressure time and again. Underlining this religious tension are fundamental conflicts between the indigenous Newar population and the Nepali speaking population which originally immigrated from India or between the South Indian Bhaṭṭa priests and the Newar Karmācārya priests. Moreover, ritual forms of worship are contested, as in the instance of tantric forms of worship with alcohol and animal sacrifices versus pure, vegetarian forms of worship. In recent times these conflicts have increasingly been politicized and due to the impact of the World Heritage Monument policy the Paśupati area is successively restructured and shaped into a religious pilgrimage place for Indian and Western tourists.Less
The book deals with festivals and rituals at the Nepalese Paśupatnātha Temple located in Deopatan, the City of (all) Gods, and the Paśupatikṣetra, the “Field of Paśupati.” Paśupati, a form of Śiva, is regarded as the tutelary and protective deity of Nepal and his temple as both national and sacred monument that has since many centuries attracted thousands of pilgrims from India. After introducing the temple, its history, organisation and vicinity, all major festivals connected to it are thoroughly described and examined. The material used by the author includes mythological and eulogising texts, chronicles, inscriptions and elaborate field‐work studies. The book also deals with religious conflicts between different forms of Hinduism as well as with religious identities and contested priesthood. Due to the strength of various tantrically worshipped goddesses in Deopatan, Śiva comes under ritual pressure time and again. Underlining this religious tension are fundamental conflicts between the indigenous Newar population and the Nepali speaking population which originally immigrated from India or between the South Indian Bhaṭṭa priests and the Newar Karmācārya priests. Moreover, ritual forms of worship are contested, as in the instance of tantric forms of worship with alcohol and animal sacrifices versus pure, vegetarian forms of worship. In recent times these conflicts have increasingly been politicized and due to the impact of the World Heritage Monument policy the Paśupati area is successively restructured and shaped into a religious pilgrimage place for Indian and Western tourists.
Anna J. Clark
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199226825
- eISBN:
- 9780191710278
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199226825.003.0005
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
This chapter examines different ways in which people came into contact with temples, statues, and other representations of divine qualities. It explores festivals and rites honouring divine ...
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This chapter examines different ways in which people came into contact with temples, statues, and other representations of divine qualities. It explores festivals and rites honouring divine qualities; senate‐meetings in temples to divine qualities, and the extent to which this created opportunities for contemporaries and later writers to draw on the qualities in question; visits to artwork in temples; setting up statues of people in temples; the use of temples as reference points; and the reporting of prodigies involving temples or statues. The geographical and social range of those making surviving epigraphic dedications to individual divine qualities is explored. Taken together, these varied engagements show that divine qualities continued to be ‘good to think with’ for a variety of people both in and outside Rome, from senators to slaves.Less
This chapter examines different ways in which people came into contact with temples, statues, and other representations of divine qualities. It explores festivals and rites honouring divine qualities; senate‐meetings in temples to divine qualities, and the extent to which this created opportunities for contemporaries and later writers to draw on the qualities in question; visits to artwork in temples; setting up statues of people in temples; the use of temples as reference points; and the reporting of prodigies involving temples or statues. The geographical and social range of those making surviving epigraphic dedications to individual divine qualities is explored. Taken together, these varied engagements show that divine qualities continued to be ‘good to think with’ for a variety of people both in and outside Rome, from senators to slaves.
Kama Maclean
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195338942
- eISBN:
- 9780199867110
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195338942.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Hinduism
While there are stark and obvious differences between the manner in which colonial and postcolonial governments manage the Kumbh Mela, there are also striking continuities. The capacity of the ...
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While there are stark and obvious differences between the manner in which colonial and postcolonial governments manage the Kumbh Mela, there are also striking continuities. The capacity of the pilgrimages such as the Kumbh to act as a conduit for information as pilgrims move across regions to attend the festival, despite the obvious limitation that it speaks to predominantly Hindu audiences, is such that few governments declined to take advantage of it. Further, the defence of the mela from colonial excesses shows but one example of the manner in which “religion” came to constitute an important sphere of political activity.Less
While there are stark and obvious differences between the manner in which colonial and postcolonial governments manage the Kumbh Mela, there are also striking continuities. The capacity of the pilgrimages such as the Kumbh to act as a conduit for information as pilgrims move across regions to attend the festival, despite the obvious limitation that it speaks to predominantly Hindu audiences, is such that few governments declined to take advantage of it. Further, the defence of the mela from colonial excesses shows but one example of the manner in which “religion” came to constitute an important sphere of political activity.
SooJeong Ahn
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9789888083589
- eISBN:
- 9789882209268
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789888083589.001.0001
- Subject:
- Film, Television and Radio, Film
This book provides a political and cultural exploration of the Pusan International Film Festival in South Korea since its inception in 1996. Paying particular attention to the organizers' use of an ...
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This book provides a political and cultural exploration of the Pusan International Film Festival in South Korea since its inception in 1996. Paying particular attention to the organizers' use of an Asian regionalization strategy, the book reveals how the festival staked out a unique and influential position within a rapidly changing global landscape. Little empirical research has been conducted to date on non-Western film festivals, though PIFF and Tokyo and Hong Kong have swiftly grown more exciting and influential as testing grounds for global cinema innovations. The initiation, development and growth of PIFF should be understood as resulting from productive tensions in the festival's efforts to serve local, regional and national constituencies. The book also reflects the complexities of rapid transformation in the South Korean film industry as it has reached out to the global market since the late 1990s.Less
This book provides a political and cultural exploration of the Pusan International Film Festival in South Korea since its inception in 1996. Paying particular attention to the organizers' use of an Asian regionalization strategy, the book reveals how the festival staked out a unique and influential position within a rapidly changing global landscape. Little empirical research has been conducted to date on non-Western film festivals, though PIFF and Tokyo and Hong Kong have swiftly grown more exciting and influential as testing grounds for global cinema innovations. The initiation, development and growth of PIFF should be understood as resulting from productive tensions in the festival's efforts to serve local, regional and national constituencies. The book also reflects the complexities of rapid transformation in the South Korean film industry as it has reached out to the global market since the late 1990s.
Axel Michaels
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195343021
- eISBN:
- 9780199866984
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195343021.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Hinduism
This Chapter introduces the reader to the topographical structure, the seats of the deities, the ritual specialists (priests, temple assistants, servants etc.), key forms of worship, temple ...
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This Chapter introduces the reader to the topographical structure, the seats of the deities, the ritual specialists (priests, temple assistants, servants etc.), key forms of worship, temple organisation, and ascetic sects. It also gives an overview and classification of the festivals and rituals.Less
This Chapter introduces the reader to the topographical structure, the seats of the deities, the ritual specialists (priests, temple assistants, servants etc.), key forms of worship, temple organisation, and ascetic sects. It also gives an overview and classification of the festivals and rituals.
Nathan MacDonald
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199546527
- eISBN:
- 9780191720215
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199546527.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
In the book of Deuteronomy there is a close relationship between memory and food. To examine this relationship use is made of the anthropological work by David Sutton, Remembrance of Repasts. The ...
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In the book of Deuteronomy there is a close relationship between memory and food. To examine this relationship use is made of the anthropological work by David Sutton, Remembrance of Repasts. The book of Deuteronomy is rhetorically poised between the wilderness and the Promised Land, and at this liminal point Deuteronomy uses food as a vehicle for articulating Israel's memory of Exodus, wilderness and Conquest. In doing so it makes a number of radical developments from the book of Exodus in its description of the Canaanite cult and in defining Israelite religion focused around pilgrimage feasts to the chosen cultic centre. It also defines the identity of the chosen people through narratives of hospitality or inhospitality that underline the Deuteronomic requirement to offer food to the poor and vulnerable.Less
In the book of Deuteronomy there is a close relationship between memory and food. To examine this relationship use is made of the anthropological work by David Sutton, Remembrance of Repasts. The book of Deuteronomy is rhetorically poised between the wilderness and the Promised Land, and at this liminal point Deuteronomy uses food as a vehicle for articulating Israel's memory of Exodus, wilderness and Conquest. In doing so it makes a number of radical developments from the book of Exodus in its description of the Canaanite cult and in defining Israelite religion focused around pilgrimage feasts to the chosen cultic centre. It also defines the identity of the chosen people through narratives of hospitality or inhospitality that underline the Deuteronomic requirement to offer food to the poor and vulnerable.
Wm. A. Little
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195394382
- eISBN:
- 9780199863556
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195394382.001.0001
- Subject:
- Music, History, Western, Performing Practice/Studies
Although Mendelssohn was most famous during his lifetime as a composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor, he also enjoyed an enviable reputation as a highly skilled organist. The instrument had ...
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Although Mendelssohn was most famous during his lifetime as a composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor, he also enjoyed an enviable reputation as a highly skilled organist. The instrument had fascinated — one might almost say mesmerized — him from earliest youth, but aside from a year or so of formal training at the age of about 12 or 13, he was entirely self-taught. He never held a position as church organist, and never had any organ pupils. Nevertheless, the instrument played a uniquely important role in his personal life. In the course of his many travels, whether in major cities or tiny villages, he invariably gravitated to the organ loft, where he might spend hours playing the works of Bach or simply improvising. Although the piano clearly served Mendelssohn as an eminently practical instrument, the organ seems to have been his instrument of choice. He searched out an organ loft, not because he had to, but because he wanted to, because on the organ he could find catharsis. Indeed, as he once exclaimed to his parents after reading a portion of Schiller's Wilhelm Tell, “I must rush off to the monastery and work off my excitement on the organ!” Mendelssohn's public performance on the organ in Germany was rare, and he gave but one public recital: in the Thomas-Kirche in Leipzig in 1840. In England, however, he evidently felt more comfortable on the organ bench and played there often before large crowds. Indeed, he performed as Guest Organist twice at the Birmingham Music Festivals in 1837 and 1842. Given Mendelssohn's profound affinity for the organ, it is remarkable that he composed but relatively little for the instrument, and assigned an Opus number to only two works: his Three Preludes and Fugues for Organ (Op. 37) and his Six Sonatas for the Organ (Op. 65). A small number of organ works, plus sketches and drafts, were scattered among his musical papers; most of these only gradually found their way into print, and it was not until the late 20th century that an edition of his complete organ works was finally published. This volume is intended as a companion to that edition.Less
Although Mendelssohn was most famous during his lifetime as a composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor, he also enjoyed an enviable reputation as a highly skilled organist. The instrument had fascinated — one might almost say mesmerized — him from earliest youth, but aside from a year or so of formal training at the age of about 12 or 13, he was entirely self-taught. He never held a position as church organist, and never had any organ pupils. Nevertheless, the instrument played a uniquely important role in his personal life. In the course of his many travels, whether in major cities or tiny villages, he invariably gravitated to the organ loft, where he might spend hours playing the works of Bach or simply improvising. Although the piano clearly served Mendelssohn as an eminently practical instrument, the organ seems to have been his instrument of choice. He searched out an organ loft, not because he had to, but because he wanted to, because on the organ he could find catharsis. Indeed, as he once exclaimed to his parents after reading a portion of Schiller's Wilhelm Tell, “I must rush off to the monastery and work off my excitement on the organ!” Mendelssohn's public performance on the organ in Germany was rare, and he gave but one public recital: in the Thomas-Kirche in Leipzig in 1840. In England, however, he evidently felt more comfortable on the organ bench and played there often before large crowds. Indeed, he performed as Guest Organist twice at the Birmingham Music Festivals in 1837 and 1842. Given Mendelssohn's profound affinity for the organ, it is remarkable that he composed but relatively little for the instrument, and assigned an Opus number to only two works: his Three Preludes and Fugues for Organ (Op. 37) and his Six Sonatas for the Organ (Op. 65). A small number of organ works, plus sketches and drafts, were scattered among his musical papers; most of these only gradually found their way into print, and it was not until the late 20th century that an edition of his complete organ works was finally published. This volume is intended as a companion to that edition.
C. L. Barber
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691149523
- eISBN:
- 9781400839858
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691149523.003.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, Criticism/Theory
This chapter explores the connections between Shakespeare's comedies and Elizabethan holidays. It argues that the saturnalian pattern came to Shakespeare from many sources, both in social and ...
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This chapter explores the connections between Shakespeare's comedies and Elizabethan holidays. It argues that the saturnalian pattern came to Shakespeare from many sources, both in social and artistic tradition. It appeared in the theatrical institution of clowning: the clown or Vice, when Shakespeare started to write, was a recognized anarchist who made aberration obvious by carrying release to absurd extremes. The cult of fools and folly, half social and half literary, embodied a similar polarization of experience. One could formulate the saturnalian pattern effectively by referring first to these traditions: Shakespeare's first completely masterful comic scenes were written for the clowns. But the festival occasion provides the clearest paradigm. It can illuminate not only those comedies where Shakespeare drew largely and directly on holiday motifs, like Love's Labour's Lost, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Twelfth Night, but also plays where there is relatively little direct use of holiday, notably As You Like It and Henry IV.Less
This chapter explores the connections between Shakespeare's comedies and Elizabethan holidays. It argues that the saturnalian pattern came to Shakespeare from many sources, both in social and artistic tradition. It appeared in the theatrical institution of clowning: the clown or Vice, when Shakespeare started to write, was a recognized anarchist who made aberration obvious by carrying release to absurd extremes. The cult of fools and folly, half social and half literary, embodied a similar polarization of experience. One could formulate the saturnalian pattern effectively by referring first to these traditions: Shakespeare's first completely masterful comic scenes were written for the clowns. But the festival occasion provides the clearest paradigm. It can illuminate not only those comedies where Shakespeare drew largely and directly on holiday motifs, like Love's Labour's Lost, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Twelfth Night, but also plays where there is relatively little direct use of holiday, notably As You Like It and Henry IV.
C. L. Barber
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691149523
- eISBN:
- 9781400839858
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691149523.003.0002
- Subject:
- Literature, Criticism/Theory
During Shakespeare's lifetime, England became conscious of holiday custom as it had not been before, in the very period when in many areas the keeping of holidays was on the decline. Shakespeare, ...
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During Shakespeare's lifetime, England became conscious of holiday custom as it had not been before, in the very period when in many areas the keeping of holidays was on the decline. Shakespeare, coming to London from a rich market town, growing up in the relatively unselfconscious 1570s and 1580s and writing his festive plays in the decade of the 1590s, when most of the major elements in English society enjoyed a moment of reconcilement, was perfectly situated to express both a countryman's participation in holiday and a city man's consciousness of it. This chapter considers two principal forms of festivity, the May games and the Lord of Misrule, noticing particularly how what is done by the group of celebrants involves the composition of experience in ways which literature and drama could take over.Less
During Shakespeare's lifetime, England became conscious of holiday custom as it had not been before, in the very period when in many areas the keeping of holidays was on the decline. Shakespeare, coming to London from a rich market town, growing up in the relatively unselfconscious 1570s and 1580s and writing his festive plays in the decade of the 1590s, when most of the major elements in English society enjoyed a moment of reconcilement, was perfectly situated to express both a countryman's participation in holiday and a city man's consciousness of it. This chapter considers two principal forms of festivity, the May games and the Lord of Misrule, noticing particularly how what is done by the group of celebrants involves the composition of experience in ways which literature and drama could take over.
Rachel Harris
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197262979
- eISBN:
- 9780191734717
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197262979.003.0004
- Subject:
- Music, Ethnomusicology, World Music
This chapter examines the types and functions of Sibe music. It provides biographical sketches of village musicians including Ga'altu of the Anjia clan, Guo Rongxing, and a certain Shoulintai. The ...
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This chapter examines the types and functions of Sibe music. It provides biographical sketches of village musicians including Ga'altu of the Anjia clan, Guo Rongxing, and a certain Shoulintai. The chapter highlights the social functions of songs and their role as vehicles of formalised expression of human relations in the Sibe community. It describes the songs and musical activities at weddings, funerals, and calendric festivals.Less
This chapter examines the types and functions of Sibe music. It provides biographical sketches of village musicians including Ga'altu of the Anjia clan, Guo Rongxing, and a certain Shoulintai. The chapter highlights the social functions of songs and their role as vehicles of formalised expression of human relations in the Sibe community. It describes the songs and musical activities at weddings, funerals, and calendric festivals.
Simon Gikandi
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691140667
- eISBN:
- 9781400840113
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691140667.003.0006
- Subject:
- Literature, Criticism/Theory
This chapter argues that whether they were produced in defiance or imitation of the culture of taste, the works of art imagined and implemented by slaves, from buildings to dances and festivals, ...
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This chapter argues that whether they were produced in defiance or imitation of the culture of taste, the works of art imagined and implemented by slaves, from buildings to dances and festivals, enabled the enslaved to redefine their relation to time and space, to reconstitute their own bodies and social relationships outside the shadow of their masters, and thus to display bodies that were not mere chattel. The animatedness of the slave in festival, the explosiveness of the body, the celebration of excess, was at odds with all the assumptions that governed white taste and polite behavior, the essence of Englishness and modern identity. In positioning itself against the norms of polite behavior and its regimes of controlled or regulated feelings, the slaves' negative sensorium became one of the most important arsenals in the making of the black self.Less
This chapter argues that whether they were produced in defiance or imitation of the culture of taste, the works of art imagined and implemented by slaves, from buildings to dances and festivals, enabled the enslaved to redefine their relation to time and space, to reconstitute their own bodies and social relationships outside the shadow of their masters, and thus to display bodies that were not mere chattel. The animatedness of the slave in festival, the explosiveness of the body, the celebration of excess, was at odds with all the assumptions that governed white taste and polite behavior, the essence of Englishness and modern identity. In positioning itself against the norms of polite behavior and its regimes of controlled or regulated feelings, the slaves' negative sensorium became one of the most important arsenals in the making of the black self.
Richard H. Davis
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195378528
- eISBN:
- 9780199869640
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195378528.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Hinduism
With the great processions of the gods, images splendidly adorned in jewelry and flower garlands, who move out of the temples and through the streets of the community, Hindu temple festivals have ...
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With the great processions of the gods, images splendidly adorned in jewelry and flower garlands, who move out of the temples and through the streets of the community, Hindu temple festivals have been the most dramatic manifestations of public religiosity in southern India over many centuries up to the present day. They are occasions when ritual, dance, music, and the ephemeral arts of adornment all work to focus the collective devotion of the community onto Siva and the other deities. The Mahotsavavidhi of the eminent Saiva preceptor Aghorasiva, completed in 1157 c.e., provides detailed step‐by‐step guidance for a Hindu priest conducting such a nine‐day festival in medieval India. This annotated rendering of Aghorasiva's twelfth‐century work is the first extensive translation of a medieval work on Hindu temple festivals into a European language. It opens a window into the early development and underlying religious meanings of the Hindu temple festival. A priest himself, Aghorasiva wrote for other priests, and his work is a technical manual. In this translation, detailed notes explain the underlying practices that Aghorasiva takes for granted. A lengthy introduction situates the text in its historical setting of the Chola period, and addresses key topics of the text.Less
With the great processions of the gods, images splendidly adorned in jewelry and flower garlands, who move out of the temples and through the streets of the community, Hindu temple festivals have been the most dramatic manifestations of public religiosity in southern India over many centuries up to the present day. They are occasions when ritual, dance, music, and the ephemeral arts of adornment all work to focus the collective devotion of the community onto Siva and the other deities. The Mahotsavavidhi of the eminent Saiva preceptor Aghorasiva, completed in 1157 c.e., provides detailed step‐by‐step guidance for a Hindu priest conducting such a nine‐day festival in medieval India. This annotated rendering of Aghorasiva's twelfth‐century work is the first extensive translation of a medieval work on Hindu temple festivals into a European language. It opens a window into the early development and underlying religious meanings of the Hindu temple festival. A priest himself, Aghorasiva wrote for other priests, and his work is a technical manual. In this translation, detailed notes explain the underlying practices that Aghorasiva takes for granted. A lengthy introduction situates the text in its historical setting of the Chola period, and addresses key topics of the text.
Renée Levine Packer
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199730773
- eISBN:
- 9780199863532
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199730773.003.0003
- Subject:
- Music, Popular, History, American
This chapter describes the series of coincidences that led to the creation of the Center of the Creative and Performing Arts; assembling the first group of Creative Associates by Lukas Foss and the ...
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This chapter describes the series of coincidences that led to the creation of the Center of the Creative and Performing Arts; assembling the first group of Creative Associates by Lukas Foss and the university's music department chairman Allen Sapp and their commitment to having an international mix of people in the group; the first Buffalo Festival of the Arts Today which, covered by Life and Time magazines, brings renown to the city of Buffalo as a haven for adventurous avant-garde music and art. Also discussed is the turmoil of the early days of the group's residency at the university, prompting manifestos and demands for improved artistic and administrative procedures; the residencies of Italian composer Sylvano Bussotti and composer-pianists David Tudor and Cornelius Cardew; the recording of Terry Riley's In C for Columbia Records; and the frequent visits of composer John Cage.Less
This chapter describes the series of coincidences that led to the creation of the Center of the Creative and Performing Arts; assembling the first group of Creative Associates by Lukas Foss and the university's music department chairman Allen Sapp and their commitment to having an international mix of people in the group; the first Buffalo Festival of the Arts Today which, covered by Life and Time magazines, brings renown to the city of Buffalo as a haven for adventurous avant-garde music and art. Also discussed is the turmoil of the early days of the group's residency at the university, prompting manifestos and demands for improved artistic and administrative procedures; the residencies of Italian composer Sylvano Bussotti and composer-pianists David Tudor and Cornelius Cardew; the recording of Terry Riley's In C for Columbia Records; and the frequent visits of composer John Cage.
Stuart Blackburn
- Published in print:
- 1996
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520202054
- eISBN:
- 9780520916807
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520202054.001.0001
- Subject:
- Anthropology, Asian Cultural Anthropology
This book travels inside a little-known form of shadow puppetry in this work about performing the Tamil version of the Ramayana epic, describing the skill and physical stamina of the puppeteers in ...
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This book travels inside a little-known form of shadow puppetry in this work about performing the Tamil version of the Ramayana epic, describing the skill and physical stamina of the puppeteers in Kerala state in South India as they perform all night, for as many as ten weeks, during the festival season. The fact that these performances often take place without an audience forms the starting point for its discussion—one which explores not only this important epic tale and its performance, but also the broader theoretical issues of text, interpretation, and audience. The book demonstrates how the performers adapt the narrative and add their own commentary to re-create the story from a folk perspective. At a time when the Rama story is used to mobilize political movements in India, the puppeteers' elaborate recitation and commentary presents this controversial tale from another ethical perspective, one that advocates moral reciprocity and balance. While the study of folk narrative has until now focused on tales, tellers, and tellings, this work explores the importance of audience—absent or otherwise. Its translations of the most dramatic and pivotal sequences of the story enhance our appreciation of this unique example of performance art.Less
This book travels inside a little-known form of shadow puppetry in this work about performing the Tamil version of the Ramayana epic, describing the skill and physical stamina of the puppeteers in Kerala state in South India as they perform all night, for as many as ten weeks, during the festival season. The fact that these performances often take place without an audience forms the starting point for its discussion—one which explores not only this important epic tale and its performance, but also the broader theoretical issues of text, interpretation, and audience. The book demonstrates how the performers adapt the narrative and add their own commentary to re-create the story from a folk perspective. At a time when the Rama story is used to mobilize political movements in India, the puppeteers' elaborate recitation and commentary presents this controversial tale from another ethical perspective, one that advocates moral reciprocity and balance. While the study of folk narrative has until now focused on tales, tellers, and tellings, this work explores the importance of audience—absent or otherwise. Its translations of the most dramatic and pivotal sequences of the story enhance our appreciation of this unique example of performance art.
Daniel Peretti
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9781496814586
- eISBN:
- 9781496814623
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University Press of Mississippi
- DOI:
- 10.14325/mississippi/9781496814586.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Culture
Many artists draw upon folklore to craft films, music, literature, and other elements of popular culture. This book examines how the opposite phenomenon occurs: the use of popular culture in the ...
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Many artists draw upon folklore to craft films, music, literature, and other elements of popular culture. This book examines how the opposite phenomenon occurs: the use of popular culture in the expressive culture called folklore. Superman is an ideal focus for such as study because of his ubiquity. Though Superman is under the control of a corporation, fans nonetheless have developed a sense of ownership of him, often because of an affinity they feel toward him. Early chapters of this book explore the varieties of this affinity as experienced by individuals and as understood through interviews. Later chapters delve into specific events, such as the Superman Celebration in Illinois, and other modes of expression such as humor, personal narrative, and myth. Superman in Myth and Folklore explores the idea that a fictional character can be foundationally important in morality through fieldwork and interviews. In other words, fans use Superman to think through complex issues in their personal lives, and this book explores how. Despite the focus on fieldwork, there is some attention to the extant literature on Superman, ranging from educational works on science to psychology and history. There is also attention to the mythical aspects of Superman, with analyses of the character through several theories such as structuralism and functionalism. By examining jokes, festival, costuming, and narrative, this book explores the impact a fictional character can have.Less
Many artists draw upon folklore to craft films, music, literature, and other elements of popular culture. This book examines how the opposite phenomenon occurs: the use of popular culture in the expressive culture called folklore. Superman is an ideal focus for such as study because of his ubiquity. Though Superman is under the control of a corporation, fans nonetheless have developed a sense of ownership of him, often because of an affinity they feel toward him. Early chapters of this book explore the varieties of this affinity as experienced by individuals and as understood through interviews. Later chapters delve into specific events, such as the Superman Celebration in Illinois, and other modes of expression such as humor, personal narrative, and myth. Superman in Myth and Folklore explores the idea that a fictional character can be foundationally important in morality through fieldwork and interviews. In other words, fans use Superman to think through complex issues in their personal lives, and this book explores how. Despite the focus on fieldwork, there is some attention to the extant literature on Superman, ranging from educational works on science to psychology and history. There is also attention to the mythical aspects of Superman, with analyses of the character through several theories such as structuralism and functionalism. By examining jokes, festival, costuming, and narrative, this book explores the impact a fictional character can have.
