International Research Centre for Traditional Polyphony
Encyclopedia
The International Research Center for Traditional Polyphony (IRCTP or Polyphonic Center) is an academic organization focused on the study of the phenomenon of traditional vocal polyphony
. It is a part of Tbilisi Vano Sarajishvili State Conservatory. Establishment of IRCTP was announced during the First International Symposium of Traditional Polyphony in 2002, and it was logistically established by the order of the Rector of Tbilisi State Conservatory
in February 2003. Its director is Rusudan Tsurtsumia. The head of its International Bureau is Joseph Jordania
. Central activity of the Polyphonic Center is organizing biannual symposia
, with subsequent publication of the presented papers, fostering dissemination of the knowledge on human musical cultures and establishing close professional contacts between ethnomusicologists interested in study of the phenomenon of traditional choral singing.
has been known among ethnomusicologists as the country with extremely rich traditions of vocal polyphony
since the 1920s. Study of vocal polyphony has been one of the central issues for Georgian ethnomusicology from the second half of the 19th century. In 1972 Union of Composers of Soviet Union
organized the conference dedicated to traditional polyphony in Georgia (this was the very first conference in the world, fully dedicated to traditional polyphony). The ongoing series of biannual conferences
dedicated to the problems of traditional polyphony, with the wide participation of the experts from Soviet Union, Europe and America, were organized in 1984, 1986 and 1988. The following conference (scheduled in 1990) was initially postponed and later canceled due to the political instability in post-soviet Georgia. The series of biannual conferences on traditional polyphony were revived in 1998 and 2000, leading to the organizing of the First International Symposium on Traditional Polyphony in 2002. The first symposium was preceded by proclamation of Georgian traditional polyphony among the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity
by UNESCO
in 2001. Representative of UNESCO attended the Symposium, providing support of UNESCO. The Polyphonic Centre has been supported during the recent years by the Presidents of Georgia
, Eduard Shevardnadze
and Mikhail Saakashvili. For several years the Polyphonic Centre was also supported by the Japanese government.
There has been a steady increase in interest towards the study of traditional polyphony
(choral singing) during the recent years. In the 1970s there were two initial conferences organized on this subject, in the 1980s four conference, in the 1990s three conferences, and during the first decade of the 21st century nine conferences had been organized in several countries (apart from Georgia
, in Taiwan
in 2002, in Austria
in 2005 and 2008, in Portugal
in 2007). A centre for the study of European traditional polyphony was established at Vienna University in 2005, and the study group on multipart music of ICTM was established in 2009 and organized a conference in Sardinia
, Italy
in 2010. The earliest international organization to dedicate its activity entirely to study of traditional choral singing was Polifonies Vivante, organized in France during the 1991-1994 by Simha Arom
.
symposia
on the problems of traditional polyphony had been organized biannually from 2002. The last one was held on October 4-8, 2010. All of them had been organized in late September - early October, at the Tbilisi State Conservatory. The geography of representation of scholars from different countries of the world had been steadily increasing. A group of international expert-ethnomusicologists, including Simha Arom
from France
, Dieter Christensen from the USA, Franz Fodermayr from Austria
, Polo Vallejo from Spain
, had been participating in virtually every symposia, together with ethnomusicologists from different countries (including experts from China
, Japan
, Australia
, Canada
, eastern and western Europe
, Turkey
, Egypt
. The general program of the symposia is stable and contains twelve themes, covering wide range of research topics, including problems of vocal and instrumental
polyphony, folk
and church music
, regional styles, elements of musical language
, social
and gender
aspects, history, links with popular music
al styles. Participating scholars are traditionally provided by the hosts with hotel accommodation, internal transport and food during the Symposium. In 2010 for the first time a special theme was added (vocal polyphony is Asia). The additional topic for the 2012 symposium (September 24-29) will be comparative research in traditional polyphony.
of the biannual symposia
. They are usually prepared under the editorship of Rusudan Tsurtsumia and Joseph Jordania
. All the papers of the previous symposia are freely available on the website of the IRCTP on both Georgian and English languages
Bulletin is another periodic publication of the IRCTP Centre also published several collections of the articles, including Seventeen Arguments on Georgian Polyphony and numerous audio and video materials.
Polyphony
In music, polyphony is a texture consisting of two or more independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords ....
. It is a part of Tbilisi Vano Sarajishvili State Conservatory. Establishment of IRCTP was announced during the First International Symposium of Traditional Polyphony in 2002, and it was logistically established by the order of the Rector of Tbilisi State Conservatory
Tbilisi State Conservatory
Tbilisi State Conservatoire is the State Conservatoire of Georgia, located in the capital Tbilisi.-History:The Tbilisi Conservatoire was founded on 1 May 1917. It was formally recognised by the Russian Musical Society as a conservatoire later that year. A rival conservatoire was also founded in...
in February 2003. Its director is Rusudan Tsurtsumia. The head of its International Bureau is Joseph Jordania
Joseph Jordania
Joseph Jordania is an Australian-Georgian ethnomusicologist and evolutionary musicologist. In some early publications his name was spelled as Zhordania...
. Central activity of the Polyphonic Center is organizing biannual symposia
Academic conference
An academic conference or symposium is a conference for researchers to present and discuss their work. Together with academic or scientific journals, conferences provide an important channel for exchange of information between researchers.-Overview:Conferences are usually composed of various...
, with subsequent publication of the presented papers, fostering dissemination of the knowledge on human musical cultures and establishing close professional contacts between ethnomusicologists interested in study of the phenomenon of traditional choral singing.
History
GeorgiaGeorgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
has been known among ethnomusicologists as the country with extremely rich traditions of vocal polyphony
Polyphony
In music, polyphony is a texture consisting of two or more independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords ....
since the 1920s. Study of vocal polyphony has been one of the central issues for Georgian ethnomusicology from the second half of the 19th century. In 1972 Union of Composers of Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
organized the conference dedicated to traditional polyphony in Georgia (this was the very first conference in the world, fully dedicated to traditional polyphony). The ongoing series of biannual conferences
Academic conference
An academic conference or symposium is a conference for researchers to present and discuss their work. Together with academic or scientific journals, conferences provide an important channel for exchange of information between researchers.-Overview:Conferences are usually composed of various...
dedicated to the problems of traditional polyphony, with the wide participation of the experts from Soviet Union, Europe and America, were organized in 1984, 1986 and 1988. The following conference (scheduled in 1990) was initially postponed and later canceled due to the political instability in post-soviet Georgia. The series of biannual conferences on traditional polyphony were revived in 1998 and 2000, leading to the organizing of the First International Symposium on Traditional Polyphony in 2002. The first symposium was preceded by proclamation of Georgian traditional polyphony among the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity
Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity
The Proclamation of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity was made by the Director-General of UNESCO starting in 2001 to raise awareness on intangible cultural heritage and encourage local communities to protect them and the local people who sustain these forms of cultural...
by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
in 2001. Representative of UNESCO attended the Symposium, providing support of UNESCO. The Polyphonic Centre has been supported during the recent years by the Presidents of Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
, Eduard Shevardnadze
Eduard Shevardnadze
Eduard Shevardnadze is a former Soviet, and later, Georgian statesman from the height to the end of the Cold War. He served as President of Georgia from 1995 to 2003, and as First Secretary of the Georgian Communist Party , from 1972 to 1985. Shevardnadze was responsible for many top decisions on...
and Mikhail Saakashvili. For several years the Polyphonic Centre was also supported by the Japanese government.
There has been a steady increase in interest towards the study of traditional polyphony
Polyphony
In music, polyphony is a texture consisting of two or more independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords ....
(choral singing) during the recent years. In the 1970s there were two initial conferences organized on this subject, in the 1980s four conference, in the 1990s three conferences, and during the first decade of the 21st century nine conferences had been organized in several countries (apart from Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
, in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
in 2002, in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
in 2005 and 2008, in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
in 2007). A centre for the study of European traditional polyphony was established at Vienna University in 2005, and the study group on multipart music of ICTM was established in 2009 and organized a conference in Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in 2010. The earliest international organization to dedicate its activity entirely to study of traditional choral singing was Polifonies Vivante, organized in France during the 1991-1994 by Simha Arom
Simha Arom
Simha Arom is a French-Israeli ethnomusicologist who is recognized as an expert on the music of central Africa, especially that of Central African Republic. His books include African Polyphony and Polyrhythm: Musical Structure and Methodology ISBN 0-521-24160-X. He also made some historical field...
.
International symposia
InternationalInternational
----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries...
symposia
Academic conference
An academic conference or symposium is a conference for researchers to present and discuss their work. Together with academic or scientific journals, conferences provide an important channel for exchange of information between researchers.-Overview:Conferences are usually composed of various...
on the problems of traditional polyphony had been organized biannually from 2002. The last one was held on October 4-8, 2010. All of them had been organized in late September - early October, at the Tbilisi State Conservatory. The geography of representation of scholars from different countries of the world had been steadily increasing. A group of international expert-ethnomusicologists, including Simha Arom
Simha Arom
Simha Arom is a French-Israeli ethnomusicologist who is recognized as an expert on the music of central Africa, especially that of Central African Republic. His books include African Polyphony and Polyrhythm: Musical Structure and Methodology ISBN 0-521-24160-X. He also made some historical field...
from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Dieter Christensen from the USA, Franz Fodermayr from Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Polo Vallejo from Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, had been participating in virtually every symposia, together with ethnomusicologists from different countries (including experts from China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, eastern and western Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. The general program of the symposia is stable and contains twelve themes, covering wide range of research topics, including problems of vocal and instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
polyphony, folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and church music
Church music
Church music may be defined as music written for performance in church, or any musical setting of ecclestiacal liturgy, or music set to words expressing propositions of a sacred nature, such as a hymn. This article covers music in the Judaeo-Christian tradition. For sacred music outside this...
, regional styles, elements of musical language
Musical language
Musical languages are languages based on musical sounds, either instead of or in addition to articulation. They can be categorized as constructed languages, and as whistled languages. Whistled languages are dependent on an underlying articulatory language, in actual use in various cultures as a...
, social
Social
The term social refers to a characteristic of living organisms...
and gender
Gender
Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
aspects, history, links with popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
al styles. Participating scholars are traditionally provided by the hosts with hotel accommodation, internal transport and food during the Symposium. In 2010 for the first time a special theme was added (vocal polyphony is Asia). The additional topic for the 2012 symposium (September 24-29) will be comparative research in traditional polyphony.
Publications
The most important publication of the IRCTP is the proceedingsProceedings
In academia, proceedings are the collection of academic papers that are published in the context of an academic conference. They are usually distributed as printed books either before the conference opens or after the conference has closed. Proceedings contain the contributions made by researchers...
of the biannual symposia
Academic conference
An academic conference or symposium is a conference for researchers to present and discuss their work. Together with academic or scientific journals, conferences provide an important channel for exchange of information between researchers.-Overview:Conferences are usually composed of various...
. They are usually prepared under the editorship of Rusudan Tsurtsumia and Joseph Jordania
Joseph Jordania
Joseph Jordania is an Australian-Georgian ethnomusicologist and evolutionary musicologist. In some early publications his name was spelled as Zhordania...
. All the papers of the previous symposia are freely available on the website of the IRCTP on both Georgian and English languages
Bulletin is another periodic publication of the IRCTP Centre also published several collections of the articles, including Seventeen Arguments on Georgian Polyphony and numerous audio and video materials.