War and manifestations of cultural trauma in the works of Cypriot composer Solon Michaelides

Abstract

The paper investigates, through the prism of cultural trauma theories of Jeffrey C. Alexander and other scholars, the case of Cypriot composer Solon Michaelides (1905-1979) and his creative responses to the Turkish military invasion of the northern part of Cyprus in 1974. The resulting trauma from the shock caused by the war is engrained in the composer’s creative oeuvre, since several of his compositions, including the Hymn and Lament for Cyprus and My Kyrenia, became a part of the cultural trauma narration.

Keywords

• national identity
• cultural trauma
• cyprus
• music representation
• solon michaelides