Browsing by Author "Gollom, Ingrid"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    South African concert pianists: an overview 1900 -1989
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2024-03) Gollom, Ingrid; Ludemann, Winfried ; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. Dept. of Music.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research focuses on the history of the piano concert as an established cultural phenomenon in South Africa since the beginning of the 20th century, with a specific emphasis on the pianists who contributed to its establishment and development. The overview ends with the death of, arguably, South Africa's most illustrious pianist, Steven De Groote, in 1989. The hypothesis underlying the project as a whole is that a distinct piano concert tradition gradually came into being in the early 1900s. Over the next several decades it developed from its initial colonial characteristics to a cultural institution that was firmly anchored in its South African environment. The term "piano concert tradition" has been coined to capture the essence of this cultural phenomenon. Of the pianists concerned, some came from abroad and had studied with leading teachers of the day, while an increasing number of exponents were raised and trained in South Africa. The cultural and social infrastructure that accompanied the tradition is given consideration and includes training institutions, professional orchestras, diverse funding, a broadcasting network, supportive audiences, and, as a late addition, music competitions. This dissertation also touches briefly on the socio-political context in which the tradition evolved and highlights the tension between colonialism and apartheid on the one hand and a cultural tradition with the loftiest aspirations on the other. The careers and achievements of some of the pianists presented here have been the topic of limited inquiry before, while the majority are presented as the subjects of research for the first time. The dissertation ends with the recommendation that comparative studies, in countries with similar or contrasting colonial and culturally diverse backgrounds, would be an interesting topic for further research.