Thesis (MMus (Music))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In a world of increased mobility, a growing number of people find themselves in places
other than those that they originate from. While a strong case has been made in various
disciplines for the experiences of alienation and disruption emanating from the politically
tinctured notion of exile, this thesis argues that these experiences affect all émigrés alike,
be it the consequence of forced or voluntary migration. It is this study’s aim to nuance the
understanding of displacement and explore the ways in which the exile discourse informs
a general, less extreme discourse of voluntary displacement with specific reference to the
composer John Joubert and his opera Silas Marner. In the first chapter, displacement is
theorized as a doubleness or ambivalence that is important in understanding creative
work done by those who have been displaced and that is informed, in the South African
composer’s case, by the relationship between the centre of ‘the’ art music tradition in
Europe and Britain and its ‘peripheral’ practice in South Africa. The second chapter
argues the ways that notions of nationality still inform thinking about composers and their
aesthetic in a time that nationality is no longer a monolithic, stable denominator. This is
done with specific reference to the composer John Joubert. In the third and fourth
chapters, the focus narrows to Joubert’s opera Silas Marner (op. 31), and explores
displacement as a theoretical paradigm for reading and studying of the opera. The third
chapter discusses the choice of subject matter of the opera and the significance of Eliot’s
novel as basis for an operatic text. Finally, the fourth chapter provides a brief analysis of
the opera, its conception and reception history as well as a critical discussion of the ways
in which notions of displacement is present in this work. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In ‘n wêreld wat meer toeganklik as ooit tevore is, bevind mense toenemend hulself in
plekke elders as waar hulle vandaan kom. Terwyl die konsep van ballingskap, met sy
politiese konnotasies, al deur verskeie dissiplines bestudeer en geteoretiseer is,
argumenteer hierdie tesis dat die gevoel van vervreemding en ontwrigting wat daaruit
spruit deur alle emigrante beleef word, synde die gevolg van willekeurige of
onwillekeurige emigrasie. Hierdie studie stel homself ten doel om die begrip van
ontheemding te nuanseer en die verskeie maniere waarop die ballingskapdiskoers
tersaaklik is vir ontheemding, te belig. Dit sal gedoen word met spesifieke verwysing na
die komponis John Joubert en sy opera, Silas Marner (op. 31). In die eerste hoofstuk
word ontheemding geteoretiseer as ‘n dubbelsinnigheid wat belangrik is in die verstaan
van die ontheemde se kreatiewe werk. Die verhouding tussen die sentrum van ‘die’
kunsmusiektradisie in Europa en Brittanje en die ‘periferale’ beoefening daarvan in Suid-
Afrika word as bydraend tot hierdie dubbelsinnigheid gesien. Die tweede hoofstuk
argumenteer dat nasionaliteit nie meer ‘n eenduidige, stabiele aspek in die beskouing van
musiek en musiekestetika verskaf nie en bedink die maniere waarop nasionaliteit steeds
betrekking op musiekstudie kan hê. Dit word met spesifieke verwysing na John Joubert
gedoen. In die derde en vierde hoofstukke vernou die fokus na Joubert se opera Silas
Marner en word die wyses waarop ontheemding tot ‘n lesing van die opera kan bydra
verken. Die derde hoofstuk behandel die keuse van onderwerp vir die opera en die belang
van Eliot se roman as operateks. Die vierde hoofstuk bespreek die ontstaans- en
resepsiegeskiedenis van die opera, analiseer die opera kortliks en verskaf ‘n kritiese
bespreking van die wyses waarop nosies van ontheemding in die opera teenwoordig is.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/1872 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Vos, Stephanie |
| Contributors | Muller, S.J.v.Z., University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Music. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | University of Stellenbosch |
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