Musical Nationalism:

Musical Nationalism

in Great Britain

What is Musical Nationalism ?

Triumphal Nationalism

Liberal Nationalism

Triumphal nationalism is when one believes that their country is the best in the world. Whenever one tries to say that Americans are better than Canadians, that is one's triumphal nationalism one display. Triumphal nationalism is probably the most commonly experience form of nationalism because everyone wants of say that their country is the best for any given reason!

Liberal nationalism is when nationalism involves everyone within one's nation. Nationalism at times can be based on ethnicity, race, and other things that can lead to differences in beliefs and cultures. Liberal nationalists also believe in emphasizing the importance of self-determination, civil liberties, and the will of the people over the power of the states.

Romanticism in Music

Musical nationalism is the use of particular musical aspects of a particular country, ethnicity, or region. These aspects can include folk tunes, melodies, rhythms, and harmonies that are inspired by an individual's culture.

Edward Elgar

During the Romanticism era, not only was there a change in the visual expression in art, but also the musical form as well. The music of this time took a sharp turn towards nationalism. During this time, the main principle of the composers of this time was to embrace the nationalist ideal. Countries like Polish, Hungarian, Russian, Czech, and Scandinavian produced multiple composers that embodied what would be later referred to as musical nationalism.

Cultural Nationalism

Cultural nationalism is the pride one's shared culture with all their fellow citizens. This form of nationalism would focus on the cultural identity that is found in shared cultural traditions and language, but not ancestry or race.

Before Elgar, Great Britain didn't have have much of a reputation when it came to musical composers. After Elgar, things were never the same! He single-handedly stimulated the revival of English music. This was accomplished by using tunes that were distinctively English in his romantic music. His music eventually become the prime example of British patriotism in response to the increase of nationalism via World War I. Below is his "Pomp and Circumstances March No. 1. Around 1:50, you will see where the music that is commonly played at graduation comes from.

Sources

National Style

* http://listverse.com/2010/04/19/top-10-composers-who-embody-nationalism/

* http://www.ipl.org/div/mushist/rom/nation.html

* http://www.slideshare.net/kamiquel/nationalism-in-context

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_nationalism

While music can seem pretty identical, there are some aspects that can be identified with particular style or country. As we look at Great Britain, we notice the common theme of strings in their works of art. As heard in the video below, the presence of strings is almost synonymous with Great Britain.

by D' Angelo Gatewood