Reading Notes Week 9

Cultural Geographies of Music

Julio E. Quinones

The Diplomatic Viol:

Paper establishes a comparative link between the preponderance and qualities of the viol with
that of diplomats of the 18th century.

reading, and taking this metaphoric exercise, is a way to emphasize music’s ability to acts as a
symbolic action, just as diplomacy is.

The viol is seen as having an inextricable relationship to diplomatic practice, because of its
description and its place in the same social circles up until the ladder point of the 18th century.

The viol’s description, and literature and correspondence at the time like and it to a great
orator, because of its capacity to resident and possessing, and even tone that didn’t offend the
ears.

Furthermore, descriptions of the actor playing it in an artful harmony, resembled it to the acts
of governance and its description, akin to a human voice, for the aligned it with the practice of
an ambassador.

The very practice of playing the viol of this time was described as movement training for the
body. On the example from Huygens we can see how moral and personal values where ascribed
to the instrument. Almost as a talisman of good manners, noble spirit and behaviors.

In terms of the materials used to create a Viol, the direct relationship to diplomacy as firmly
established, because the trade needed to obtain rare or valuable materials for its construction
required negotiation.

Reference as an example is given towards the end of the article further gift contacts of the raw
music had an high society specifically the viol and bows, garnering attention with a subtle tone
and its ability to act as a sonic mediator in both consort ensembles and future iterations of
chamber music.

This kind of paper seems to serve as an exploration of an instruments function in historical

context, but through a lens of metaphoric syncretization with the highest society role of an
ambassador.

The viol acts as a geographic point of view from which the narrative arguments are respond
through the history of the object itself, and its historical Socio, political implications.
Music pushed, Music Pulled: Cultural Diplomacy, Globalization, and Imperialism:

The US planned and prepared propaganda tours all over the world in the 1950’s through what
would be considered musical diplomacy as an effort to further their interests over and control
the perspective developing countries had to its interventionist policies.

In a sense the idea of musical diplomacy seems almost trite and unassuming if not paired or
considered through its imperialist intentions.

As in the example for Bolivia and the University of Michigan Jazz Band, the musicians were
encouraged to foster official and personal relations to the native students, coordinating with
students of the Universidad de La Paz that were critical of US interventionism to organize the
logistics of the events the band would have.

Through news coverage of these tours of musicians abroad, the mainland US audiences started
to regard the country’s importance in the world stage as more significant.

This change of perspective not only in the minds of the receiving audience in the US but also in
the places where the tours were being held heralded the initial intentions of globalization.