Alternative Modern Age: “Africa” in 20th Century Composition Culture

Zentrum für Literatur und Kulturforschung, Berlin, Germany

In the wake of global economic and media networking the music of the 20th century is developing into an object of global history marked by an overlapping of topographical and cultural borders. Awareness that we live in a world growing ever closer together in economic and social terms means composition in the 20th century is now also significantly distinguishing itself from the “exoticism” of earlier epochs. This constellation so far neglected in historiographic terms is to be illustrated through the example of the very varied way the African continent entered the consciousness of two key 20th century composers – Alexander Zemlinsky and Steve Reich. The manuscript will be written with the support of the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation.

May 2013

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