Abstract The paper examines how the dispute over the portrayal of masculinity in the "Chansons de Geste" is an issue full of complexity, double meanings and intents. The paper maintains that, while it seems obvious that these poems mythologise masculinity in its heroic context and are constructed as celebrations of masculinity, a closer examination reveals that, simultaneous to the aggrandising of male heroic qualities, are subtly symbolised threads of criticism woven into the text, which indicate an ironic sense of self-awareness of the genre and of its context in society.
From the Paper "The relationship between Raoul and Bernier has an interesting parallel in that of Roland and Oliver. Similar points are made about the differences in their motivations and characters. Roland like Raoul is the impetuous, defiantly masculine hero. Oliver as his beloved companion is (usually) the voice of reason and moderation. As in the case of Raoul de Cambrai, the Chanson de Roland has as its backbone the patriarchal crisis of loyalty to the king, and the search for a father figure. Also as in the case of Raoul, the main protagonists are a pair of male friends, again with the emphasis on the homosocial bond defining the individual - the feminine is not a reference point for the construction of the self. Roland's heroic identity is constructed around an exclusively male-dominated society in which women are merely bargaining tools between men, and also largely around his relationship with Oliver. "
Abstract Born on October 8, 1930 in Tokyo, Toru Takemitsu spent his early childhood in China where his father had a job. He returned to Japan in 1938 when he was eight years old to continue his education. He was recruited into the Japanese army when he was only 14. However, the time spent in the army introduced Takemitsu to the world of music. An officer in his unit often played the French chansons on the gramophone for his soldiers. Immediately after the war he got a job in the newly established American military base in Japan. This paper discusses, Toru Takemitsu, the first contemporary Japanese composer to become known in the West. The paper describes his childhood, how he was introduced to music during his army career and his career as a composer.
Abstract This paper reviews the book "The Waning of the Middle Ages" by Johan Huizinga, which discusses music in the Middle Ages. The paper describes the book as impacting the overall knowledge of our history of medieval life and culture in Flanders, Burgundy, and France. The paper suggests that relying too heavily on Huizinga's criticisms of medieval music does a great disservice to the music of the 14th and 15th centuries.
From the Paper "Many modern musicologists, in the spirit of Huizinga, have had trouble with the lack of song development and the repetitiveness of medieval songs. However, medieval music should not be listened to with prejudicial ears. Huizinger also criticized medieval culture in general, leading to an overly pessimistic vision of life in the 14th and 15th centuries in Europe. All aspects of courtly life, from its songs to its chivalric pageants, were moribund, stagnant, and overly stylized, according to Huizinga. Huizinga also wrote with hyperbole, exaggerating the contrasts inherent in medieval life without acknowledging the "extraordinary creative energy of Western musicians during the middle ages," (p. 149)."
