Art Music of Albanians in Kosovo: First steps towards initiation and development phase division

The development of Albanian Art Music in Kosovo started after World War II and it shared the same fate as other countries situated in the Balkans. Art Music of Kosovo has gone through different political, social and economic situations as all other countries which were part of the then ex- Yugoslavia (1918-1991). However, the impact was stronger due to the beginning of the last war in Kosovo (commencing in 1990, almost a decade before the war), a war that made ten mandatory years desertion of the cultural and educational life of Albanians in Kosovo. The above-mentioned political and social circumstances, as well as other dramatic changes within Kosovo have negatively affected the development of Albanian Art Music in Kosovo, which, from my perspective, was and is a neutral sphere of identity, as it started in a vacuum – i.e., an emptiness, in terms of its activities which did not exist before 20th century. This article, strives to identify the existence of Art Music in Kosovo whose development when observed, acts as evidence just how great an achievement can be reached over a very short period of time. Its main purpose is to highlight the first steps towards its initiation and also the growing European music tradition within a society which was isolated for centuries.

Art Music of Albanians in Kosovo: First steps towards initiation and development phase division

The development of Albanian Art Music in Kosovo started after World War II and it shared the same fate as other countries situated in the Balkans. Art Music of Kosovo has gone through different political, social and economic situations as all other countries which were part of the then ex- Yugoslavia (1918-1991). However, the impact was stronger due to the beginning of the last war in Kosovo (commencing in 1990, almost a decade before the war), a war that made ten mandatory years desertion of the cultural and educational life of Albanians in Kosovo. The above-mentioned political and social circumstances, as well as other dramatic changes within Kosovo have negatively affected the development of Albanian Art Music in Kosovo, which, from my perspective, was and is a neutral sphere of identity, as it started in a vacuum – i.e., an emptiness, in terms of its activities which did not exist before 20th century. This article, strives to identify the existence of Art Music in Kosovo whose development when observed, acts as evidence just how great an achievement can be reached over a very short period of time. Its main purpose is to highlight the first steps towards its initiation and also the growing European music tradition within a society which was isolated for centuries.

___

  • Andreis, J., & Cevetko, D.D.K. (1982). Historijski razvoj muzičke kulture u Jugoslaviji (Historical development of music culture in Yugoslavia). Školska knjiga., Zagreb
  • Arllati, B. (2014). Tradita Muzikore në Gjakovë (Music Tradition in Gjakova). URA, Gjakovë.
  • Atheism and Agnosticism. “Yugoslavia - Religious Demographics”. ThoughCo. 2013. https://www.thoughtco.com/atheism-and- agnosticism-4133105
  • Berisha, E., & Shiroka, K. (2004). Monografia e SHKA “Agimi” (Monograph of SCA “Agimi”). Vertigo, Prizren.
  • Berisha, E. (1998). Kultura muzikore (Music Culture). Libri shkollor, Prishtinë, 1998.
  • Berisha, E. (2004). Studime dhe vështrime për muzikën (Studies and Overviews on Music). Academy of Science and Arts of Kosova, Prishtinë.
  • Berisha, E. (1997). Zhvillimi i stileve në veprat e kompozitorëve shqiptarë (Style development on the oeuvre of Albanian composers). Enti i teksteve dhe i mjeteve mësimore të Kosovës, Prishtinë.
  • Berisha, M. (2010). Archaeological Guide of Kosovo, Ministry of Culture of Kosovo. http://www.mkrs-ks.org/repository/docs/ drafti_i_guides_-anglisht_final.pdf
  • Berger, K. (2014). The ends of music history, or: the old masters in the supermarket of cultures. Journal of Musicology, 31(2), 186- 198. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/ jm.2014.31.2.186
  • Clara, F., & Ninhos, C. (2016). Nazi Germany and Southern Europe, 1933-45. Science, Culture and Politics. Palgrave Macmillan. UK.
  • Elise, R. (2010). Historical dictionary of Albania (second edition). Lanham, Toronto, Plymouth, UK: The Scarecrow Press Inc.
  • ENEMO, (2013). “Enemo Election Observation”, The European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations. http://enemo.eu/uploads/file-manager/ Missions/Kosovo-2013-Municipal- Local Elections/Preliminary%20 Statement%20-%20Round%20I/ preliminarystatement05.11.2013_ENG.pdf
  • Halsal, P. (1997). Music and nationalism, NATMUSIC. https://sourcebooks.fordham. edu/mod/NATMUSIC.asp
  • Kapxhiu, A. (2016). The impact of folklore in the musical cultivated creativity, Anglisticum. http://anglisticum.aassee.eu/ index.php/Anglisticum/article/view/1206.
  • King, M. (2003). The penguin history of New Zealand. Auckland: Penguin Group NZ.
  • Kolakowski, L. (1990). Modernety on endless trial. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
  • Kryeziu-Breznica, R. (2020). Kompozitorët e Muzikës Artistike në Kosovë - ndarja historike sipas muzikologjisë kosovare (Composers of Art Music in Kosovo - historical division according to Kosovar musicology). Social Studies 7: Kosova Academy of Sciences and Arts.
  • Kryeziu-Breznica, R. (2022). Mes kërshërisë dhe dashurisë për muzikën (Between curiosity and love for music). Kukuzeli. Prishtinë.
  • Kurkela, V., & Mantere, M. (2020). Critical music historiography. routledge. New York. Malcolm, N. Kosova një histori e shkurtër (Kosovo, a short history). (2011). KOHA. Prishtinë.
  • Martin, L. (2003). Music historiography in New Zealand, University of Waikato http:// www.rilm.org/historiography/lodge.pdf
  • Markovic, T. (2009). Balkan studies and music historiography, (self) representation between »Authenticity« and Europeanization. Kakanien Revisted, 1-8. http://www. kakanien-revisited.at/beitr/balkans/ tmarkovic1.pdf
  • Nettl, B. (2023). “Folk Music”, Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/ art/folk-music
  • Nora, P. (1989). Lieux de mé moir (Between memory and history). Representationas 26.
  • Pejovic, R. (2009). The history of Serbian culture. Musical composition and performance from the eighteenth century to the present. https://www.rastko.rs/isk/ rpejovic-music_xviii-xx.html
  • Peterson, J. (2010). The church and the development of music. Mfiles UK, http:// www.mfiles.co.uk/church-music-and- hymns.html
  • Ph.D. Fellows of “Erinnerung – Wahrnehmung – Bedeutung: Constructing Historiography of Music, “The Formation of musicological Knowledge”, Golden Pages, (2011). http:// goldenpages.jpehs.co.uk/conferences/ constructing-historiography-of-music-the- formation-of musicological-knowledge
  • Putnikovich, R. (1995). The history of Serbian culture. https://www.rastko.rs/isk/ rpejovic-music_xviii-xx.html
  • Riedlmayer, A. (2015). Diplomacia Kosovare përdor shkatërrimin e xhamive në lobimin për UNESCO (Kosovar diplomacy used the destruction of mosques in lobbying for UNESCO). Kosova Press. http://www. Kosovopress.com/sq/lajme/diplomacia- Kosovare-perdor-shkaterrimin-e-xhamive- ne-lobimin-per-unesco-47353/
  • Rudi, R. (2006). Sprova estetike-Muzika shekullit XX (Aesthetic trial – 20TH Century Music). Dukagjini. Prishtinë. Republika e Kosovës.
  • Sokoli, R. (1991). Veglat muzikore të popullit shqiptar (Music instruments of the Albanian people). Akademia e Shkencave dhe Arteve. Tiranë, Shqipëri.
  • Shupo, S. (2005). Biographical dictionary of Balkan composers. ASMUS. Tiranë, Shqipëri. University of Arts in Belgrade, (2023). http://www.arts.bg.ac.rs
  • N.A., “Orkestrat frymore në Shqipëri” (Wind orchestras in Albania), Top Channel Television, 2011, http://top-channel.tv/ lajme/artikull.php?id=207584
  • Web Sites web 1. https://ashak.org/
  • web 2. https://www.arts.bg.ac.rs/en/
  • web 3. https://serbianempire.wordpress. com/
  • web 4. https://www.mfiles.co.uk/
  • web 5. https://www.kakanien-revisited.at/ web 6. https://www.britannica.com/