The Rise Of Nationalism
Folk roots and new nations
With the collapse of Imperial domination, new nations were emerging, keen to promote their national culture and history, and old ones were looking anew at their rich heritage. Frequently, they wished to escape the shadow of German influence – the Franco-Prussian War had signalled that the German Empire’s rise as a world power throughout the 19th century carried desires of supremacy.
The Slavic nations, furthermore, had been denied a voice under the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and indicated a desire for cultural self-determination. A return to nationalist and folk cultures was one way of emerging nations to assert their identity. Meanwhile, British composers rediscover their roots by gathering folk songs and turning them into symphonies.
Since the invention of the recording cylinder, all the inflections, nuance and character of folk songs and singers could be recorded faithfully, and many composers found new inspiration in their native music. Melodies followed the patterns of speech and rhythms matched the energy of dancing bodies as a group of composers wrested music from its lofty romantic perch and returned it to the hard-edged physical world.
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THE RISE OF NATIONALISM - THE PROGRAMME
Nationalism As the imperial world collapsed, new nations emerged, giving rise to a new interest in national culture and history and inspiring composers, from
England’s Ralph Vaughan Williams to Bohemia’s
Leoš Janáček. Learn about this movement and hear
some of the wonderful music that both inspired it
and emerged from it.
Weekend events from 10am – 6pm
SATURDAY 2 FEBRUARY – Day Passes and Free Events
Christopher Clark:
Europe in the Early
20th Century
Distinguished historian Christopher Clark’s overview of Europe as it headed for World War I. Queen Elizabeth Hall, 11am – 12 noon. Entry with Saturday or weekend festival pass
Virginia Woolf:
After 1910
Rachel Bowlby looks at the early life and works of Virginia Woolf. Level 5 Function Room at Royal Festival Hall, 12.30pm – 1.30pm. Entry with Saturday or weekend festival pass
Listen to This
with Ivan Hewett
Music critic Ivan Hewett talks about and plays recorded extracts of music including Bartók, Vaughan Williams and Janáček. The Front Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall, 12.30pm – 1.30pm & 3.30pm – 4.30pm. Entry with Saturday or weekend festival pass
The Miraculous
Circumstance:
BartÓk, Folklorist A film tracing the journeys of Hungarian composer Béla Bartók . Spirit Level at Royal Festival Hall, 12.30pm. Entry with Saturday or weekend festival pass
David Owen Norris :
The English Hymnal
An exploration of The English Hymnal, an anthology of the best hymns in the English language. Level 4 Blue Bar at Royal Festival Hall, 12.30pm – 1.30pm. Enry with Saturday or weekend festival
Bites
Four 15-minute talks with subjects including the impact of the recording cylinder on folk music; the founding of the National Trust; eugenics; and the inspiration of William Morris. Bites sessions run throughout the weekend with a range of different topics each time. Weston Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall, 12.30pm-1.30pm, 2pm – 3pm & 3.30pm – 4.30pm. Entry with Saturday or weekend festival pass
David Tong: Einstein’s
Theory of General Relativity
A lecture exploring one of the 20th century’s ground breaking theories. Queen Elizabeth Hall, 2pm – 3pm. Entry with Saturday or weekend festival pass
Shirley Collins: The Outskirts of Culture
Godmother of English Folk Music presents a lecture and is then interviewed by Malcolm Taylor from Cecil Sharp House. Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall, 2pm – 3pm. Entry with Saturday or weekend festival pass
Ken Russell’s Elgar
Screening of Ken Russell’s 1962 drama-documentary about composer Edward Elgar. Spirit Level at Royal Festival Hall, 2pm. Entry with Saturday or weekend festival pass
Cunning Little Vixen
Janáček’s opera is transformed into a magical feature-length and family-friendly animation, in this 2003 BBC TV film. The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall, 3.30pm – 5pm FREE
Jean Sibelius:
The Early Years & Maturity and Silence A screening of a 2007 documentary about Jean Sibelius. Blue Room, Spirit Level at Royal Festival Hall, 3.30pm – 5.30pm
O Thou Transcendent
Tony Palmer’s dramatic film capturing the events that tortured Ralph Vaughan-Williams. Purcell Room at Royal Festival Hall, 4.45pm. Entry with Saturday or weekend festival pass, or with a ticket to the evening’s 7.30pm Royal Festival Hall concert
Tony Benn
Tony Benn discusses the founding of the Labour Party and the impact of nationalism, which has shaped the politics of Europe from the collapse of Empire, through two world wars and the present day. Queen Elizabeth Hall, 5pm. Entry with Saturday or weekend festival pass
Pre-concert talk
with Stephen Johnson:
Vaughan Williams, Ravel and Janáček Writer Stephen Johnson talks about how composers rediscovered their own folk roots. Royal Festival Hall, 6.15pm FREE
SUNDAY 3 – Day Passes and Free Events
Songs My Mother Taught Me:
The Workshop
A vocal workshop exploring folk music by Grainger, Dvorak and others, ahead of this evening’s concert, lead by Southbank Centre Artist in Residence Mary King. The Front Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall , 10am – 1pm. Free to ticketholders of the 5.30pm concert as well as Saturday and weekend festival pass holders
Breakfast with Bartók
Discover more about key The Rest Is Noise festival work Romanian Folk Dances, by Bartók with animateur Rachel Leach. The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall, 10.30am – 11.30am FREE
Katherine Mansfield and Virginia Woolf: Writing, Music and Modernity
Gabriel Josipovici and Kirsty Gunn explore the early writing of Katherine Mansfield and Virginia Woolf in relation to the music of the period. The event is chaired by Delia da Sousa Correa. Purcell Room at Queen Eizabeth Hall, 12 noon – 1pm. Entry with Sunday or weekend festival pass
The Noble Savage:
Percy Grainger
A 1986 documentary by Barrie Gavin exploring the life of Percy Grainger, the Australian-born composer. Spirit Level at Royal Festival Hall, 12 noon. Entry with Saturday/Sunday or weekend festival pass
Tom Service:
Composers Embrace
their Folk Traditions Writer Tom Service explores how composers from Sibelius to Vaughan Williams and Janáček rediscovered and reinvented their cultural roots. Level 4 Blue Bar at Royal Festival Hall, 12 noon – 1pm & 1.30pm – 2.30pm. Entry with Sunday or weekend festival pass
Bites
See Saturday 2. Level 4 Green Bar at Royal Festival Hall, 12 noon – 1pm and Level 4 Blue Bar at Royal Festival Hall, 3.30pm – 4.30pm. Entry with Sunday or weekend festival pass
George Szirtes
Poet George Szirtes gives a lecture on the themes of nationalism, poetry and language. The Front Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall, 1.30pm – 2.30pm. Entry with Sunday or weekend festival pass
Patrick Wright:
The Idea of England
Patrick Wright explores the theme of English nationalism, looking at writers such as GK Chesterton. Level 5 Function Room at Royal Festival Hall, 1.30pm – 2.30pm. Entry with Sunday or weekend festival pass
The Miraculous Circumstance:
Bartok, Folklorist See Saturday 2. Spirit Level at Royal Festival Hall, 1.30pm. Entry with Sunday or weekend festival pass
Scarred by War
Three contemporary poets discuss and read the poetry of three major European poets of World War I: Guillaume Apollinaire, Isaac Rosenberg and Georg Trakl. Level 4 Green Bar at Royal Festival Hall, 3.30pm – 4.30pm. Entry with Sunday or weekend festival pass
Picasso and Gauguin:
Folk Art and Authenticity
A talk by Martin Gayford on Primitivism. As composers across Europe sought inspiration from folklore, major artists of the period explored exotic cultures. Level 5 Function Room at Royal Festival Hall, 3.30pm – 4.30pm. Entry with Sunday or weekend festival pass
Holst:
In the Bleak Midwinter
Tony Palmer’s acclaimed 2011 film about Gustav Holst, the composer and revolutionary. Blue Room, Spirit Level at Royal Festival Hall, 3.30 – 5.45pm
ON THE WEB
Image gallery
See all Images from The Rise of Nationalism on Flickr
The Guardian
The Rest is Noise: out of the shadow of Mozart, Beethoven and Wagner
The Southbank Centre's Gillian Moore on what February holds for the festival – and how a rising nationalism inspired composers from Janáček to Holst to embrace folk traditions.
The Rise of Nationalism: In Pictures
The new interest in national culture and history as composers and artists across Europe sought inspiration from folklore
The Rest Is Noise festival: Alex Ross, Strauss and the 20th century
Watch Gillian Moore in conversation with The Guardian's Laura Barton and Imogen Tilden.
The Rest is Noise festival: The Rise of Nationalism - video preview
Watch this video from the second weekend in The Rest is Noise series.
Key figures from the early 20th century
From Edward Elgar to Vaslav Nijinsky, images of those who shaped music in the first part of the last century.
All video and articles at The Guardian.
The Open University
If you have been inspired by one of the many events taking place at The Southbank centre for The Rest is Noise festival, you can take your interest further with the Open University.
The Rest Is Noise at The Open University
THE RISE OF NATIONALISM - Concerts and events
Folk Pioneers - Sunday 3 February 2013. How folk traditions inspire composers across the world. Featuring the Northern Sinfonia and Kathryn Tickell.
Plus
Sketches of Spain & Finland - Friday 1 February 2013. Works that distill the essence of a country into evocative music.
Accordian Duo: Bartosz Glowack- Friday 1 February 2013. Polish accordion students Bartosz Glowacki and Krystian Sacilowski respond to the theme of connecting with national identity.
Dunajska Kapelye Friday 1 February 2013. Dunajska Kapelye play traditional Gypsy and Balkan music the way it was intended - from the heart.
The Cunning Little Vixen- Saturday 2 February 2013. Leos Janacek's opera is transformed into a feature-length, family-friendly animation.
Re-imagining Homeland - Saturday 2 February 2013. Composers characterise their music with their own and other more exotic cultures.
The Rise of Nationalism Saturday Day Pass- Saturday 2 February 2013.
The Rise of Nationalism Sunday Day Pass- Sunday 3 February 2013.
The Rise of Nationalism Weekend Pass- Saturday 2 February 2013 - Sunday 3 February 2013.
Show of Hands- Sunday 3 February 2013. A very special double headline show featuring Show of Hands with Miranda Sykes and Port Isaac's Fisherman's Friends.
Tapping the Source- Sunday 3 February 2013. A rich afternoon of journeying back into early 20th century folk song and contemporary interpretations, curated by Bellowhead's Pete Flood.
Songs My Mother Taught Me - Sunday 3 February 2013. Mary King and a range of singers explore vocal music which draws on folk sources.
For more information, visit the Southbank Centre ticketing website