Ioana Cirtita

Romanian Music, Piano Music, Music and Politics, Nationalism, Modernism in Music, Performance Practice, Music in the Twentieth Century

Romania's rich yet complex musical heritage, influenced by synchronisation with Western art music in the early 20th century and later shaped by the isolation of the state socialist period, has yet to claim its place fully in the global music narrative. This project aims to elucidate Romania's position within this broader musicological context, informed by critical perspectives on 'post-Eurocentric historical thinking' (Strohm 2018) and intercultural understanding in our globalised musical landscape (Hijleh 2019).

The period from 1933 (rise of fascism) through 1947 (Communist takeover) to 1965 (start of Ceaușescu's era) represents a politically charged era that profoundly shaped Romanian musical
development, as composers balanced artistic expression with ideological pressures. Taking the lead from Sandu-Dediu's (2020) examination of Romanian musical ideologies, this research examines the piano works of six composers: Paul Constantinescu (1909-63), Carmen Petra-Basacopol (1926- 2023), Mihail Jora (1891-1971), Marcel Mihalovici (1898-1985), Sigismund Toduță (1908-91), and
Constantin Silvestri (1913-69). These composers, spanning different generations, developed their creative ethos while negotiating complex ideological challenges. This study investigates the evolving relationship between Romanian and Western European Modernist musical traditions, with an understanding of performance practice traditions forming an integral part of the research in examining compositional processes and interpretative approaches of this repertoire.

Open-Oxford-Cambridge AHRC Doctoral Training Partnership; St Catherine’s College Light Senior Scholarship