Kristina Nielsen's blog

Flower World: Music Archaeology of the Americas, Volume 2. Edited by Matthias Stöckli and Arnd Adje Both. Berlin: Ekho Verlag. 2013. [198 p., Individual €59; Institutional €92.] illustrations, photographs, references, index.

Danza Azteca includes a diverse and amalgamated repertoire––a pastiche of various indigenous music and dance traditions subsumed under the umbrella of danza.

Empire of Song: Europe and Nation in the Eurovision Song Contest. Edited by Dafni Tragaki. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press.[xiv, 321 p. ISBN 9780810888173. $85.] Bibliographical references, index.

Reviewed by Kristina Nielsen

How are the inception dates of oral music traditions derived? The question seems simple, but a survey of contemporary and past publications suggests that an answer might be difficult to come by. I recently endeavored to undertake this survey, primarily on the European music scholarship of oral music traditions, to learn what methods have been employed to determine their beginning dates.

Welcome to the newest sounding board “Historical Perspectives”: a space dedicated exclusively to the study of historical music topics. “Historical Perspectives” is intended as a space for works in progress, newly hatched ideas, and more colloquial conversations about ongoing research than afforded in formal publications.