Musicologica 1/2010

The article is focusing on aesthetics and music poetry of hit production in contemporary pop music. It is examining its specifics of expressions, music expression means, music forms and character of its reception. It is analyzing relationship between hit production and classical-romantic music language. Part of these studies is analysis and interpretations of selected examples of hit production of contemporary pop music, which is concentrating on specific elements of romantic music poetry and classical – romantic expression means.  In this research the following songs were analyzed: Zdenka Predná: When It Is Not Going, Paris Hilton: Stars Are Blind, Tina: I Know That You Will Say Yes, Desmod: It Will Burn Down All What I Have, Desmod: Someone Will Tell You Sooner Than Me, Nelly Furtado: All Good Things (Come To the End), Nelly Furtado: Say It Right and Peha: Renesainnance.

The work deals with the development of jazz-rock style in Slovakia from the post-modern period to present times. It reflects possible views of its rise and concentrates on the sound in the work of individual musical groupings. It points to differences in understanding and interpretation of jazz-rock in its developing phases by doing musical theoretical analysis, transcription and comparison of selected pieces of music. It chronologically analyzes works of the most significant musical formations of fusion, funky and pop-jazz styles from the historical point of view, trying to find their places in the home scene, when compared to other styles of non-artificial music.

At the beginning of the 1980s the mainstream orientation of Slovak jazz predominated. In the second half of the 80s jazz-rock, fusion music and funky became dominant. Older representatives accepted some rhythmic and sound elements of jazz-rock, but their main field kept post bop tendencies, or soul and blues in bands such as: Esprit D. Húščava, Quartet of Ladislav Gerhardt and Combo of Peter Lipa, 1977 – 1986. After forming younger music generation begun a new era of jazz-rock and fusion music in Slovakia in a form of Bratislava Conservatory Big Band (1982), A´Conto (1985 – 1990), Alef (1986 – 1993), Adriena Bartošová and Scat, Ashband, Bossa Noha (1989 – 1995), Esprit Band (Pavol Kozma, 1983 – 1987), Boston Drivers (1990, Pavol Kozma), Madre, Stop Time, Trio Jakabčic – Burian – Jaro (1986 – 1991), Tamis (1980 – 1983) and Tutu (1989 – 1993). The article is describing the beginning of jazz-rock generation also in the vocal field represented by Peter Lipa, Adriena Bartošová and Bartolomej Balogh.

In this study we are discussing an important figure in Slovak jazz history – the pianist Ladislav Gerhardt. From the historical view of Slovak jazz development we could consider him as a pioneer of modern jazz in Slovakia. His musicianship in this genre was appreciated multiple times not only by the music institutions, critics, and important jazzmen from abroad but also by his colleagues – musicians and last but not least by the public. He became known for his first Slovak jazz LP “We Got Married Well“ (1970) although it was published with a delay due to the cultural politics in formal Czechoslovakia, the LP documents his style almost ten years after his performance on scene. Later on, he became a hard bop and even soul pianist. Ladislav Gerhardt was known not only as an interpreter but also as a composer. His works interacted with more genres. He composed jazz, popular, symphonic, scenic and film music. He wrote more than 300 compositions and a lot of arrangements.

Jazz life in Czechoslovakia was marked by denying artistic freedom in choices of genres and styles where communist ideology determined the right artistic orientation. Cultural politics in 1948 – 1989 largely influenced not only artistic form of jazz but also management of music life (such as organization of concerts, publishing LPs, radio broadcasting and etc.).  These were the main reasons for immigration of jazzmen abroad. In the first phase of immigration artistic reasons predominated, in the second phase there were more existential problems of artists and their endeavor to improve their material conditions and artistic status where they had ambitions to also interact with the international development of jazz. The majority of immigrants moved to the USA, Canada, Brazil, Argentina and Australia. There is an estimate that in 1948 – 1967 approximately 255 000 people left Czechoslovakia, in 1968 – 89 approximately 244 597 people left, among whom approximately 100 000 were Slovak. In the article we are including a list of jazzmen that left during the communist era.

During the Cold War, a myth of freedom in jazz was fed by American political power, as well as by mass culture, spurring people to consume life style with the anti-American phobia of the communist regime. These factors created sometimes heroic picture of this genre in many articles mentioned in publications. The best Hungarian jazz theoretician, János Gonda, also thinks that jazz was a symbol of the opposition, but in his normative assertion, in which political leadership paid more attention to jazz, moderately is reinforcing the myth of jazz, if we take in consideration the real influence of jazz and jazz musicians who have been seen. Hungarian jazz scene lost the edge of bourgeois revolting attitude against ruling regime after 1956, when it got under control of the cultural politics. In comparison with other genres (such as beat and rock) has been found neglected quantity of writings about jazz scene, because police did not think that they were a serious jeopardizing source, which would come up as a preventive job from the standpoint of communist  party. In spite of the situation, the documents from police require further research. It is a tragic irony in history of Hungarian jazz after 1956, when the political leadership finally gave the green light to this genre, that potential funs already had been dispersed. It is important moment, because the social base of jazz until 1950; especially in Budapest and in bigger cities was large, but jazz became again illegal until beat fever broke out.