The Beginnings of Research in Ethnomusicology and Historical Musicology in Kosovo: Background, Research and Main Publications

Abstract

This article takes into consideration the specific period of ethnomusicological and musicological publications from after World War II to the late 1980s, when political turbulences severely damaged social processes and diverted the normal flow of cultural and scientific developments in Kosovo. As a consequence of historical, political and social circumstances, the trajectory of art in Kosovo has followed its own specific history in which classical music (in written form) was completely unknown until the second part of the 20th century, since before then musical tradition had been transmitted only in oral form. The most important and abundant part of this tradition is the rich musical folklore. The first studies in the field of ethnomusicology and the publications by different authors are presented in this article. The Albanian folklore from Kosovo, both collected and studied, was the main promoter in the development of ethnomusicology and musicology. Such research was begun by foreign scholars in the first part of the 20th century and then was continued by scholars from Kosovo in the second part of the same century. Lorenc Antoni’s work presents the first most important trace of ethnomusicological work done by a local Kosovo author, followed subsequently by others. While studies in the field of ethnomusicology (within the Folklore Branch at the Albanological Institute in Prishtina) have reached a certain level of quality during the last half century, historical musicology failed to follow the course of the primary compositional and artistic activities. Consequently, it has not as yet reached the same level as the other musical areas.

Keywords

• Kosovo
• music
• folklore
• historical musicology
• ethnomusicology