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Richard Greenan

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Papers by Richard Greenan

Research paper thumbnail of From Mozart to Primitivism: Music and Orientalism

The 2004 Collins English dictionary defines the ‘Orient’ as ‘the countries east of the Mediterran... more The 2004 Collins English dictionary defines the ‘Orient’ as ‘the countries east of the Mediterranean’ (or simply ‘the eastern hemisphere’), and ‘Orientalism’ as ‘knowledge of or devotion to the Orient’ . Yet, ‘Orientalism’ is almost synonymous with Edward Said’s seminal political text that takes the word for its title. This essay will first investigate and define Said’s idea of Orientalism, and some of the critiques these ideas have faced. This will be followed by discussions on the application of Orientalism to music, focussing firstly on Mozart’s Abduction of the Seraglio and nineteenth century opera, secondly on the Orientalist conception of improvisation, and concluding with the topic of Jazz and primitivism in early twentieth century Paris.

Research paper thumbnail of Debussy's Nationalism

Research paper thumbnail of Chopin's Nationalism

Research paper thumbnail of Traditional Mutants: Tropicalia, Nationalism and Authenticity

The Tropicália movement (1967–1969) appeared to represent a radical break away from popular music... more The Tropicália movement (1967–1969) appeared to represent a radical break away from popular music tradition in Brazil, its heterogeneous, irreverent aesthetic seen as retrograde to Brazil’s struggle for cultural autonomy. This dissertation intends to demonstrate the authenticity of Tropicália as a Brazilian music by situating it in a number of Brazilian cultural traditions. My argument will focus on Tropicália’s use of ‘cultural cannibalism’, a Brazilian modernist method of constructing cultural identity by way of ‘devouring’ the cultures of others. Ultimately, by drawing attention to Tropicália’s heterogeneous and chaotic reflection of Brazilian society, this dissertation aims to expose the inauthenticity of nationalist essentialisations of Brazilian popular music.

Research paper thumbnail of From Mozart to Primitivism: Music and Orientalism

The 2004 Collins English dictionary defines the ‘Orient’ as ‘the countries east of the Mediterran... more The 2004 Collins English dictionary defines the ‘Orient’ as ‘the countries east of the Mediterranean’ (or simply ‘the eastern hemisphere’), and ‘Orientalism’ as ‘knowledge of or devotion to the Orient’ . Yet, ‘Orientalism’ is almost synonymous with Edward Said’s seminal political text that takes the word for its title. This essay will first investigate and define Said’s idea of Orientalism, and some of the critiques these ideas have faced. This will be followed by discussions on the application of Orientalism to music, focussing firstly on Mozart’s Abduction of the Seraglio and nineteenth century opera, secondly on the Orientalist conception of improvisation, and concluding with the topic of Jazz and primitivism in early twentieth century Paris.

Research paper thumbnail of Debussy's Nationalism

Research paper thumbnail of Chopin's Nationalism

Research paper thumbnail of Traditional Mutants: Tropicalia, Nationalism and Authenticity

The Tropicália movement (1967–1969) appeared to represent a radical break away from popular music... more The Tropicália movement (1967–1969) appeared to represent a radical break away from popular music tradition in Brazil, its heterogeneous, irreverent aesthetic seen as retrograde to Brazil’s struggle for cultural autonomy. This dissertation intends to demonstrate the authenticity of Tropicália as a Brazilian music by situating it in a number of Brazilian cultural traditions. My argument will focus on Tropicália’s use of ‘cultural cannibalism’, a Brazilian modernist method of constructing cultural identity by way of ‘devouring’ the cultures of others. Ultimately, by drawing attention to Tropicália’s heterogeneous and chaotic reflection of Brazilian society, this dissertation aims to expose the inauthenticity of nationalist essentialisations of Brazilian popular music.

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