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Department of Music Studies

ANASTASIOS HAPSOULAS

Professor

Ethnomusicology and Cultural Anthropology

Tel.:0030 210 7277935

Room: 925

Floor: 9th

email: hapsoula[at]otenet[dot]gr

 

Studies

Professor of Ethnomusicology at the Department of Music Studies. (University of Athens). He has a Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology-Systematic Musicology, Georg-August University of Göttingen (Germany). He studied Musicology and Philosophy at the corresponding Departments of the same University. His Ph. D. thesis, “Information on the Traditional Greek Music-Life in Travellers’ Chronicles of the 18th and the 19th Century”, has been published by the editor: Orbis Musicarum (Edition Re) 1997, in Göttingen. His work was partly sponsored by the Onassis Foundation. He received also a scholarship from the State Scholarships’ Foundation and carried out a post-doctoral research, titled “Music Transcriptions of Melodies from Xeropotamos of Drama”, which was published in June 2003, by Papagregoriou-Nakas editions. Parts of his work have been presented in international conferences

  

Research interests

His research interests are in the area of methodology, the history of the Greek traditional music, as well as the secular music traditions of the Middle Ages

 

Courses

Introduction to the Arab – Persian Music  
Main purpose of this course is the induction of the students to the written music tradition of Arabs and Persians which was developed in the past mainly on the aristocrats’ courtyards and was growth by a different way in each caliphate. The constitution of the Arab musical theory in the Middle ages, the role that Syrians and Arabs had had as far as the diffusion of ancient Greek musical thought, the historical and cultural substratum of these references, the tonic system of Arabs and Persians, the forms of sacred and profane music, the instruments and music ensembles, are the main thematic regions of this course. The lectures are accompanied by musically examples.  
Introduction to the Indian Music  
India was always a station one of the most ancient cultures of humanity. Main purpose of this course is the induction of the students in issues about the constitution, the culture and the development of “classic” Indian music, which its development took place mainly in the aristocrats’ courtyards. The role of religion in the development of Vedic hymnody, the relationship of language and music, the musical theory and the accentual system, the musical notation and aesthetics, the composition of music ensembles as well as the effects with other musical cultures, as the Arabs and Persians, constitute certain from the thematic units that are examined. The lectures are accompanied by musically examples.  
Ethnomusicology I  
The aim of the course is to introduce students to the definition, scope, and methods of Ethnomusicology. Through a survey of its history, the course explores the relationship of Ethnomusicology with Historical and Systematic Musicology, as well as current tendencies in the discipline.  
Ethnomusicology II  
The course presents and analyses specific topics from the field of Ethnomusicology. The class is organized around a series of issues that include: social dimensions of musical expression, oral and literate musical creation, analysis and performance, continuity in musical traditions.  
Music Transcription and Analysis in Ethnomusicology  
Music transcription and analysis constitute two of the most significant tools of Ethnolusicology for the investigation of the tone systems and morphology characteristics of oral musical idioms or traditions. The objective of the course is to teach students how to use the methods of transcription and analysis and familiarize them with the particular issues that arise from the notation of sound due to the particularities of different musical idioms. 

 

Books

1. “Informationen über das traditionelle griechische Musikleben in Reiseberichten des !8. und 19. Jahrhunderts”, Univ. Diss., Edition Re, Orbis Musicarum 13, Göttingen 1997  
2. “Music Transcriptions of Melodies of Xeropotamos of Drama”, Ed. K. Papagregoriou-X. Nakas, Athens 2003 (in Greek)  
3. “Ethnomusicology. Historiographical and ethnographical dimensions” Ed. Nisos, Athens 2010. (in Greek).
4. “Indian Art Music. Historical, ethnomusicological dimensions” Ed. Nisos, Athens 2014 (in Greek).
5. “ Music Theory and Practice in Arabic Middle Ages. Receptions and Influences” Nissos, Athens 2019 (in Greek).

 

Representative Publications

1. “Musical Acts in Constantinople during the 18th and early 19th centuries, described by European Travellers of that time”, “Musikologia 12-13”, Ed. Nisos, Athens 2000, s.156-174 (in Greek).  
2. “Musikinstrumente und Ensembles in Griechenland des 18. und 19. Jahrhunderts”, Orbis Musicarum-Göttingen, (to be published).  
3. “The value of Comparative Musicology”, “The value of Music today”, Ed. Orfeas, Athens 2003, s.89-98.(in Greek)  
4. “The musical culture of the Aegean  Islands at the time of the 18th and 19th. century”, “The Music, the Songs and the Dances of Ikaria”, Ed. K. Papagregoriou-X Nakas, Athens 2003, s.82-101. (in Greek)  
5. “ Music Analysis in Ethnomusicology: Problems and Prospects”, “Music Analysis and Interpretation”, Ed. Pelage of  Music, Athens 2006, s. 131-143.(in Greek)  
6. “ Secular Music in 4th century Byzantium through the Texts of the Fathers of the Church”, “Musikologia 19”, Ed. Exantas, Athens 2007, s.217-238. (in Greek)  
7. “Higher Music Education in Germany”, “Musikologia 18”, Ed. Exantas, Athens 2003, s.39-43.  
8. “Daniel Koglin: Gelebtes Spiel - gespieltes Leben. Improvisation und Tradition in der Music des griechischen Kaval. Kassel, Bärenreiter 2002” (Book-Presentation), “Schweizerisches Archiv für Volkskunde 103”, Basel 2007, s.138-139.  
9. “Greek Traditional Music: The problem of the continuity”, Collected Papers (Department of Music Studies-University of Athens), Athens 2013 (in Greek).  
10. “Ethno musicological – historical accesses of the Greek traditional music”, “Ethnographika”, “Musikologia 20” Ed. Nisos, Athens 2011, s.250-260 (in Greek).  
11. “Greek traditional musical instruments: Old forms (18th-19th cent.)- modern expressions”, “Folklore and Tradition”, Ed. Nisos, Athens 2010, s. 149-158  (in Greek).  
12. “Charikleia Tsokani: The scream of Medusa. From the Myth to the Music. Ed. Alexandreia, Athens 2006” (Book-Presentation), “Musikologia 20”, Ed. Nisos, Athens 2011, s.280-282 (in Greek).    
13. “Western Art Music and Greek music education: Crisis and prospects” , “Polyphonia 26”, Athens 2015, s.82-95.(in Greek)