Imogen Coward | University of New England - Australia (original) (raw)

Papers by Imogen Coward

Re-visions : proceedings of the New Zealand Musicological Society and the Musicological Society of Australia Joint Conference hosted by the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand between 2nd and 4th December 2010 /, 2010

Musical islands: exploring connections …, Jan 1, 2009

Conference Presentations by Imogen Coward

The role of film music, as so often expressed by film composers and producers, is to be ‘tight’ t... more The role of film music, as so often expressed by film composers and producers, is to be ‘tight’ to the action, to heighten the audience’s emotional response, and to represent the emotional journey of the characters on screen. For over more than a century, "Alice in Wonderland" has enjoyed a history of film adaptations and has been interpreted musically through film and stage productions, song albums and pop songs. Notable examples are the songs from Disney’s 1951 animated adaptation, and more recently Nick Willing’s 1999 TV adaptation (starring Whoopi Goldberg).

As Martin Gardener has demonstrated, "Alice in Wonderland" was understood by its contemporaries with particular regards to parodies of Victorian phrases, social customs, idioms, political figures, songs, verse, and popular culture. However, a survey of the history of "Alice in Wonderland" with regard to the audience’s understanding of Carroll’s books has revealed a lack of comprehensive understanding by modern audiences which have led to misinterpretations of the books as drug-fueled fantasies and hallucinations. A central aspect of this modern view of the books is that the books are inherently illogical in their design.

Through cross-disciplinary research, drawing upon the songs and verse in "Alice in Wonderland", this paper presents a new challenge to the charge of ‘illogicality’ and explores the design logic which quietly and almost unnoticeably guides Carroll’s use of parody and creation of whimsy in Wonderland. Drawing upon this, the paper will suggest a new approach to the interpretation of "Alice" musically, through a complex yet ultimately simple extension of the application of the design logic inherent in the books.

The presentation is accompanied by selected examples of music of existing and original works.

A paper presented for 2007, 22-25 November, Brisbane, No. 30 - Joint Conference with NZMS "Musica... more A paper presented for 2007, 22-25 November, Brisbane, No. 30 - Joint Conference with NZMS "Musical Islands"

The presentation is accompanied by selected examples of music of existing and original works.
Location: TATE Liverpool UK
More Info: Co-authors Dr. Imogen Coward, Dr. Ann Coward, & Taliesin Coward
Event Date: Nov 19, 2011
Organization: "Alice Culture: The Endurance of Wonderland" Postgraduate Forum

The String Quartet genre is regarded by many as having reached its maturity in the works of Beeth... more The String Quartet genre is regarded by many as having reached its maturity in the works of Beethoven. In particular, the late period String Quartets of Beethoven, like the composer himself, have been viewed as standing alone in the genre and in music history itself; timeless islands of greatness in an expanding sea of String Quartets; works that challenge musicians, musicologists and audiences of every generation and bear witness to the composer’s unique individual approach and his status as the ‘sui generis’ of Western art music in very late 18th and early 19th century Europe. Historically, the same period in which Beethoven was composing these String Quartets also saw intense European discussion on the function of art as well as a pervasive fascination with the quality of the sublime and an interest in melancholy allied to the rise of Early Romanticism. If all artists wittingly (or unwittingly) reflect in their works the values and beliefs of their own time, then, far from regarding Beethoven’s String Quartets as isolated islands, it should be possible from our 21st century perspective, to link stylistic features found within the Quartet’s with that era’s views on the function of art. By taking a cross-disciplinary approach, this paper draws together musical analysis and data from extra- musical sources including philosophical and artistic disciplines to explore this relationship.

The string quartet genre burst into being during the late 18th century and is regarded by many as... more The string quartet genre burst into being during the late 18th century and is regarded by
many as having reached its maturity during the early 19th century, particularly in the late
works of Beethoven. The same period in history also witnessed the establishment of the
modern philosophical field of aesthetics. If artists of all persuasions may be said to wittingly
(or unwittingly) reflect in their works, the values and beliefs belonging to their own times, it
should be possible, looking back from our 21st century vantage point, to analyse style found
within a musical genre of another era and relate this to that era’s aesthetic ideals . By taking
a cross-disciplinary approach, it is the aim of this paper to explore, through an analysis of a
selection of Haydn’s string quartets, the relationship between style and the ideas prevalent in
the aesthetic environment of 18th century Europe.

It has taken Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland a little over a century from being regarded as nonsens... more It has taken Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland a little over a century from being regarded as nonsense, to become nonsensical, as is so vividly highlighted by the book’s songs/poems. Kenneth Rothwell, in his History of Shakespeare on Screen, lists seven kinds of derivatives a film may take when a literary work is adapted for the screen, none of which presupposes ‘accuracy’ with the original text. While the Disney adaptation may take credit for much of the confusion in the modern mind (even to the point where David Crystal accredits the Mad Hatter with the concept of a Happy Unbirthday), we need to look further afield to understand the failure of present-day audience’s to connect with the aesthetic of Carroll’s book. Adaptation for subsequent generations of a book Carroll wrote for an audience who were well-versed in the songs he was parodying, and who were informed about the people and events to whom references were being made, demands interpretation. While visually, iconic images from Alice may still be employed to satirise people and events, the power of the songs/poems has been lost in transmission, such that they now bemuse rather than amuse. The paper draws upon resources outlining the reception of Carroll’s book in his time, and attempts to examine the failure of the songs to resonate with today’s ‘audiences’, while other works written at the same time, notably those of Gilbert and Sullivan, have continued to be relevant.

"Performing History" 2017 Combined Conference of the Musicological Society of Australia and the New Zealand Musicological Society. December 8-10, Conference Centre, Faculty of Creative Arts and Industries, the University of Auckland , 2017, 2017

MSA CONFERENCE 2015 "Musical Dialogues", 1 to 4 October 38th National Conference of the Musicological Society of Australia Sydney Conservatorium of Music, The University of Sydney, 2015

This paper explores the shifting editorial paradigms surrounding the Suzuki Violin Method reperto... more This paper explores the shifting editorial paradigms surrounding the Suzuki Violin Method repertoire, and how these promote or can actively dismantle and fragment a pre-existing historical dialogue linking contemporary violinists to their artistic predecessors. It contextualises Suzuki’s own editorial practices and clear 19th century influences as belonging to what scholar James Grier identifies as an interpretative edition approach. The paper contrasts this with the contemporary editorial paradigm used by the International Suzuki Association (ISA) Violin Committee to develop the New International Revised editions. An Australia-wide survey of Suzuki method teachers, conducted by this paper’s researcher, one year after the publication of revised editions commenced, revealed widespread, general interest in updating the editions to include HIP elements such as those relating to historical interpretation (including bowing, articulation, ornaments and so forth) within the Suzuki Method editions. However, this paper suggests that the potential ‘trap’ in embracing HIP data of failing to value interpretative editions of the past, as noted by scholar Kenneth Hamilton, is a significant concern in the ISA’s current editorial approach. This is supported by the emerging responses, within the Suzuki community, some eight years after the new editions first started to appear. The paper highlights both the issues apparent, but also the potential solutions to be found in the work of musicologist-teacher Kirsten Wartberg, and performer Takako Nishizaki who perhaps present a more wholistic and ultimately valuable approach to incorporating information derived from HIP alongside an interpretative edition paradigm.

2013, 18 - 22 November, Brisbane, No. 36 "Metamorphosis and Music" held jointly with the New Zealand Musicological Society of Australia, 2013

This paper presents findings from a recent study into the editorial practices of pedagogue and vi... more This paper presents findings from a recent study into the editorial practices of pedagogue and violinist Shinichi Suzuki, and the author’s ongoing participant-observer research into preferences in repertoire and edition choice within the Suzuki Method community. It considers the apparent shift in editorial thinking and values from the widely-known and used Suzuki Violin Method repertoire books compiled, edited and revised by Shinichi Suzuki from the 1940s to the 1970s, with the major contemporary re-editing of the repertoire commenced in 2007 by the International Suzuki Association Violin Committee. The 19th century influences and apparent sympathy of Suzuki’s own early editorial practices with what scholar James Grier identifies as an interpretative edition approach, is contrasted with the Historically Informed Performance influenced aims of the current revisions initiated by Suzuki and carried out by the Violin Committee. The reaction amongst teachers and students to the apparent changes, is discussed in relation to an Australia-wide survey of Suzuki Method violin teachers.

2011, 30 November-3 December, Perth, No. 34 "Power of Music" held jointly with the Society for Education, Music and Psychology Research International Conference on Music and Emotion

In the 2011 film, Mrs Carey’s Concert, by the Australian award-winning documentary maker Bob Con... more In the 2011 film, Mrs Carey’s Concert, by the Australian
award-winning documentary maker Bob Connolly, Karen
Carey is driven by a belief that music has a transformative
power, a widely held notion that can be traced to the writings
of Plato some 3,000 years ago. One of the twentiethcentury’s
greatest music educators, Shinichi Suzuki, is often
quoted as saying that it was through music that children
might attain sensibilité and that this was linked to his desire
to develop ‘character first, ability second’ in the education
of children. These features, and the centrality of music to
his aspirations, are directly linked to Suzuki’s own education
and the period in which he lived. Yet, given that many examples
may be found of ‘great’ composers and performers
who are worthy of admiration musically, but are of dubious
merit in other facets of their lives, one should perhaps question
whether and in what way exposure to ‘fine’ music might
facilitate transformation. If, for example, pedagogues such
as Suzuki had been as familiar with Mozart’s scatological
songs as he was with his other works, would he have hoped
that by studying Mozart’s music one might ‘catch his heart’?
Through engaging with Suzuki’s writings, the paper will argue
that the difficulties in reconciling the goal and approach
derives from an incomplete picture of Suzuki’s view of the
role and power of music.

Talks by Imogen Coward

A lecture-performance presented for the Solomos Greek Australian Cultural Society, exploring the ... more A lecture-performance presented for the Solomos Greek Australian Cultural Society, exploring the role of musicologists and composers in the transmission, adaptation and adoption of music across cultures. Brisbane, Australia , 2011

A presentation given for the Solomos Greek Australian Cultural Society , Brisbane Australia, 2005

A lecture and interactive workshop presented for the Greek Orthodox Youth Orchestra of Brisbane, ... more A lecture and interactive workshop presented for the Greek Orthodox Youth Orchestra of Brisbane, Brisbane Australia, 2007

A teacher training workshop presented for the Suzuki Talent Education Association of Australia (NSW)

A workshop for advanced students and amateur musicians exploring conducting for instrumental ense... more A workshop for advanced students and amateur musicians exploring conducting for instrumental ensembles and voice. Hosted by Camerata Academica of the Antipodes. 25 May 2014, Sydney, Australia

A workshop on String Instrument Technique and Interpretation for students of Heart Strings, Armid... more A workshop on String Instrument Technique and Interpretation for students of Heart Strings, Armidale, NSW, Australia, 7-9 June 2014