Raymond Monelle
Encyclopedia
Raymond Monelle. was a music theorist
, teacher, music critic, composer and jazz pianist. Monelle wrote three books, dozens of articles on music, and many music criticism reviews in newspapers, mainly for Opera
and The Independent
His main field of research was Music Signification or, as it is also known, Music Semiotics
. Towards the end of his life he wrote a novel, yet to be published, entitled Bird in the Apple Tree, about the adolescence of the composer Alban Berg
.
degree in Modern History from the University of Oxford
and Bachelor of Music
degree from the University of London
. A member of the Royal Musical Association
at least since 1968, he completed his Ph.D at the University of Edinburgh
with a Doctoral Thesis
on “Opera seria as drama: the musical dramas of Hasse
and Metastasio
,” which he wrote under the supervision of Prof. David Kimbell.
two years earlier, and became one of the project’s leaders, acting as keynote speaker and editor of proceedings in all the International Congresses of Music Signification that followed.
His publications touch a wide variety of subjects and musical styles, but focus mainly on two subjects: the analysis of music as text and The Musical Topic. In the first subject, Monelle was strongly influenced by Derrida
’s writings on deconstruction. On the second subject, he presented a research into the topics of the military. Toward the end of his life, he began studying the subject of The Musical Sublime, inspired by the writings of Slavoj Žižek
.
, off the shores of Eastern Scotland, for a week of listening and study of Wagner
’s Der Ring des Nibelungen
. He was granted the title of a Reader in 1992(?) and full professorship in 2002(?) the year in which he retired from the university of Edinburgh. After his retirement he continued to teach theory and counterpoint at Napier University
in Edinburgh.
and James MacMillan.
Music theory
Music theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques across or within genres, styles, or historical periods...
, teacher, music critic, composer and jazz pianist. Monelle wrote three books, dozens of articles on music, and many music criticism reviews in newspapers, mainly for Opera
Opera (magazine)
Opera is a monthly British magazine devoted to covering all things related to opera.Based in London, the magazine was founded in 1950 by George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood. It was launched at the house of Richard Buckle, under the imprint 'Ballet Publications Ltd'...
and The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
His main field of research was Music Signification or, as it is also known, Music Semiotics
Music semiology
Music semiology , the semiology of music, is the study of signs as they pertain to music on a variety of levels. Following Roman Jakobson, V. Kofi Agawu adopts the idea of musical semiosis being introversive or extroversive--that is, musical signs within a text and without...
. Towards the end of his life he wrote a novel, yet to be published, entitled Bird in the Apple Tree, about the adolescence of the composer Alban Berg
Alban Berg
Alban Maria Johannes Berg was an Austrian composer. He was a member of the Second Viennese School with Arnold Schoenberg and Anton Webern, and produced compositions that combined Mahlerian Romanticism with a personal adaptation of Schoenberg's twelve-tone technique.-Early life:Berg was born in...
.
Education
Monelle received a Master of ArtsMaster of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree in Modern History from the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
and Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree; the majority of work consists of prescribed music courses and study in applied music, usually requiring a...
degree from the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
. A member of the Royal Musical Association
Royal Musical Association
The Royal Musical Association is a British scholarly society and charity. Founded in 1874, the Association claims to be the second oldest musicological society in the world, after that of the Netherlands...
at least since 1968, he completed his Ph.D at the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
with a Doctoral Thesis
Thesis
A dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings...
on “Opera seria as drama: the musical dramas of Hasse
Johann Adolph Hasse
Johann Adolph Hasse was an 18th-century German composer, singer and teacher of music. Immensely popular in his time, Hasse was best known for his prolific operatic output, though he also composed a considerable quantity of sacred music...
and Metastasio
Metastasio
Pietro Antonio Domenico Trapassi, better known by his pseudonym of Metastasio, was an Italian poet and librettist, considered the most important writer of opera seria libretti.-Early life:...
,” which he wrote under the supervision of Prof. David Kimbell.
Scholarship
Monelle was renowned for his research in the field of Music Signification (the Semiotics of Music). His three books, many articles and countless lectures, presented in various venues all over Europe, North America and Israel, had an immense impact on the international music scholarship scene. In 1988 he joined the Music Signification Project, founded by Eero TarastiEero Tarasti
Eero Tarasti is a Finnish musicologist and semiotician, currently serving as Professor of Musicology at the University of Helsinki....
two years earlier, and became one of the project’s leaders, acting as keynote speaker and editor of proceedings in all the International Congresses of Music Signification that followed.
His publications touch a wide variety of subjects and musical styles, but focus mainly on two subjects: the analysis of music as text and The Musical Topic. In the first subject, Monelle was strongly influenced by Derrida
Jacques Derrida
Jacques Derrida was a French philosopher, born in French Algeria. He developed the critical theory known as deconstruction and his work has been labeled as post-structuralism and associated with postmodern philosophy...
’s writings on deconstruction. On the second subject, he presented a research into the topics of the military. Toward the end of his life, he began studying the subject of The Musical Sublime, inspired by the writings of Slavoj Žižek
Slavoj Žižek
Slavoj Žižek is a Slovenian philosopher, critical theorist working in the traditions of Hegelianism, Marxism and Lacanian psychoanalysis. He has made contributions to political theory, film theory, and theoretical psychoanalysis....
.
Teaching activities
Monelle joined the Faculty of Music at the University of Edinburgh in 1969 serving throughout the 1970s as conductor of the university society choir and opera club, and teaching History, Counterpoint, Harmony, Analysis, and the Semiotics of Music. Most famous classes were his “Wagner Project Weeks” in which he took students for a week away from Edinburgh to Holy IslandHoly Island
-Places:England* Lindisfarne, Northumberland, home of a medieval monasteryIreland* Inish Cealtra, near Mountshannon on the west shore of Lough DergScotland* Eileach an Naoimh, also known as Holy Isle, located in the Firth of Lorn...
, off the shores of Eastern Scotland, for a week of listening and study of Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
’s Der Ring des Nibelungen
Der Ring des Nibelungen
Der Ring des Nibelungen is a cycle of four epic operas by the German composer Richard Wagner . The works are based loosely on characters from the Norse sagas and the Nibelungenlied...
. He was granted the title of a Reader in 1992(?) and full professorship in 2002(?) the year in which he retired from the university of Edinburgh. After his retirement he continued to teach theory and counterpoint at Napier University
Napier University
Edinburgh Napier is one of the largest higher education institutions in Scotland with over 17,000 students, including nearly 5,000 international students, from more than 100 nations worldwide.-History:...
in Edinburgh.
Composition and performance
Monelle composed several works: among them works for piano and for organ, choir arrangements of Christmas Carols and a Mass setting for choir and orchestra, which he later adapted for choir and organ for the choir of Old St Paul's, Edinburgh.. He did some conducting, mainly of choral and opera productions, and was particularly known for his skilled jazz piano playing. He also nurtured the careers of two of Scotland's most notable living musicians, Donald RunniclesDonald Runnicles
Donald Runnicles is a Scottish conductor who has worked extensively in other countries, particularly Germany and the USA....
and James MacMillan.
Editions
- Musica Significans: 1998, Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Musical Signification, Edinburgh.
Compositions (note: this list is under construction)
- Arrangements of Carols:
- “Tell us, thou cleere and heaven’ly tongue, Where is the Babe but lately spring” combing a poem from Herrick's Noble Numbers with a lute piece by Dowland: “Captain Digorie Piper’s Galliard” from the First Book of Ayers, for soprano solo, SSA choir and piano (published by Boosey and Hawkes, 1972).
- “Nowell sing we, both all and some” SSA choir and piano, melody taken from the Selden MS-Nowell. (Published by Boosey and Hawkes, 1972)
- Missa Ce fu en Mai a mass for choir, organ, and strings.
- Missa Brevis an adaptation of the former for choir and organ written for the choir of Old St Paul's who sang it at his requiem mass under the direction of his colleague and friend Dr John Kitchen.
- Ballatis of Luve
- Organ works
- Piano works