CFP: Readings of Diffcult Freedom (Toulouse, France)

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE: "READINGS OF DIFFICULT FREEDOM"

SOCIÉTÉ INTERNATIONALE DE RECHERCHES EMMANUEL LEVINAS (SIREL, PARIS)

NORTH AMERICAN LEVINAS SOCIETY (NALS, USA)

TOULOUSE, FRANCE

5 - 9 JULY 2010

CALL FOR PAPERS

First published in 1963, with a second edition in 1976, /Difficile Liberté/, /Essais sur le judaïsme/ is considered Levinas' most accessible book and an excellent introduction to his work. This collection of essays, which appeared in a variety of journals (/L'arche, Information juive, L'esprit, Evidences/, etc.) reflects the society, culture and philosophy of France from the 1950s to the 1970s. While closely linked to this era (end of World War II, the discovery of the horror of the concentration camps, Stalinism, the founding of the State of Israel) /Difficile Liberté/ is by no means a collection of circumstantial writings.

In /Difficile Liberté/ Levinas defines post-Holocaust Judaism, and sets out the requirements and need for Jewish thought and education in an authentic but critical dialogue with modern society. These considerations are frequently interspersed with references to writers and thinkers who influenced Levinas such as Claudel, Heidegger, Hegel, Spinoza, S. Weil, Gordin and Rosenzweig, but more often to sacred texts, the Bible and the words of the Sages of Israel which Levinas continually emphasized the need to study. Does Levinas' /modernity /paradoxically lie in his appeal to Jews to return to these old "worm-eaten tractates" ("the Jew of the Talmud should take precedence over the Jew of the Psalms")? These articles are still innovative, sharp, concise and overarching; the style is sometimes lyrical – Levinas rarely wrote in such a strident, argumentative way, blending conviction and stupefaction. The key to what unites Levinas' work – the link between his philosophical writings and his specifically Jewish dimension – may just be found in /Difficile Liberté./

Beyond the obligatory analysis of the title (taken from the last few words of the article "Education and Prayer") this conference aims not only to place the essays in /Difficult Freedom/ in their historical context and within the trajectory of Levinas' thought, but more importantly to examine them afresh – with the wonderment and questions they still elicit today. Diachronic and synchronic analyses of the articles in /Difficle Liberté /will help situate them with respect to Levinas' other works. Issues such as the following could be explored:

Phenomenology, ethics, the Holocaust, Israel, the Talmudic Readings, Levinas' views of science and technology, his relationship to Heidegger, Rozensweig, Bergson, French philosophers and writers, Levinas' relationship to Christianity, Levinas the educator, etc...*

This international conference is an initiative of the Société internationale de Recherches Emmanuel Levinas (SIREL, Paris, http://sirel-levinas.org), and the North American Levinas Society (Purdue, USA, www.levinas-society.org. The conference will host participants from all over the world, with 120 projected presentations.

Priority will be given to students and young researchers. The proceedings will be published (articles selected by the editorial committee). If funding permits, some financial aid may be made available, in particular to young researchers.

SUBMISSION DUE DATES

1. *On or before September 30, 2009:* submission of a 500-word abstract (talks will be 20 minutes, in French or in English)and a short bio-bibliography of the author (s).

2. *On or before November 15, 2009*: notification, based on the decision of the scientific committee.

3. *February 2010*: publication of conference program.

All submissions (preferably as Microsoft Word files) and questions concerning the conference should be sent electronically to: dlib2010[at]gmail.com

CFP: Interdisciplinary Humanities (journal)

INTERDISCIPLINARY HUMANITIES
PUBLISHED BY THE HUMANITIES EDUCATION RESEARCH ASSOCIATION
SPECIAL ISSUE: MUSIC IN CONTEXT (REQUEST FOR READERS)
CALL FOR PAPERS

I am interested to locate readers for a special issue of Interdisciplinary Humanities entitled "Music in Context." Our scholarly journal is published twice each year and usually includes a special interest issue. Currently, we seek specialists to read a paper in the following areas of interest:

Hollywood Musicals
Film Music
Electro-Acoustic Music
Dance Hall Music
Music (Iconography) and Painting
17th Century France
19th Century Opera
18th Century Instrumentation
Chinese-Western Musical Relationships
20th Century Arts.

If you are interested to review a submission and recommend it, or not recommend it, for publication, please email me at your earliest convenience.

Regards,
Steve Husarik
shusarik at uafortsmith.edu

CFP: Present Perspectives on Tonality Assessment and Prospects (Tour, France)

PRESENT PERSPECTIVES ON TONALITY ASSESSMENT AND PROSPECTS

UNIVERSITÉ FRANÇOIS-RABELAIS, TOUR

26 - 28 NOVEMBER 2009

CALL FOR PAPERS

Université François-Rabelais
U.F.R Arts et Sciences Humaines
Département de Musique et Musicologie
5 rue François-Clouet
37000 Tours
Convenor: Henri Gonnard
Research Team ‘Lieux et enjeux des modernités musicales’

The aim of this conference is to survey the current state of research on the question of tonality. Epistemological issues are immediately raised as this question cannot be envisaged without specifying the distinction between ‘tonality’ as a phenomenon and ‘tonal system’ as a theoretical construction. Generally, the former is considered as having been gradually set up and, thereafter, established during the late Baroque era, expanded and destabilized from the 19th century, to be finally defeated by the appearance of atonality in the 20th century. The latter is represented through the system of major/minor opposites and in the structuring of harmonic progressions, as they are approached from a synchronic/diachronic point of view. Moreover, theory and analysis meet up in the relationship which occurs between the object under analysis and the analyst, between the observer and the object that is observed.

Thus, as its leading theme the conference will focus on the interaction between:

1. the theory and the analysis of tonal music,
2. theory or analysis and the objects to which apply.

Papers may wish to concentrate on either aspect from an epistemological, historical, or methodological point of view.

Proposal for papers (of no more than 20 lines) with a short CV should be sent to henri.gonnard at univ.tours.fr before 15 May 2009. Travel expenses are to be met by the participants or their institution of affiliation. The proceedings of the conference will be published. Information: +33 247 36 7727, or the above email address.

CFP: Correspondances: Exchanges and Tensions Between Art, Theatre and Opera in France (London)

CORRESPONDANCES: EXCHANGES AND TENSIONS BETWEEN ART, THEATRE AND OPERA IN FRANCE, C.1750-1850

NATIONAL GALLERY, LONDON (IN COLLABORATION WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM)

26 - 27 MARCH 2010

CALL FOR PAPERS

This conference will explore a rich field of interdisciplinary research, that of the relation between art, theatre and opera in France from the later 18C to the mid 19C. As key elements in Parisian cultural life, art, theatre and opera all underwent extensive changes during this period, adapting and responding to profound socio-political disruption and transformation from the Revolution to the Second Republic.

We aim:

* to map interchanges between stage(s) and canvas, and the role of imagery in stage productions;

* to identify intermediaries in transmitting design to and from the stage and painting;

* to analyse attitudes and assumptions regarding interplay between media in theoretical and critical writing;

* to assess the recoverability of the visual components of theatre and opera.

Major themes which unite the two art forms include:

* the representation of history

* the nature of spectacle and illusion

* narrative and temporality

* the role of criticism

Invited speakers include:

* Prof Stephen Bann, University of Bristol (also a curator of the exhibition)

* Prof Beth Wright, University of Texas at Arlington

* Prof Tom Grey, Stanford University

* Prof David Charlton, Royal Holloway, University of London

We welcome proposals for papers (30 mins). Abstracts of c.250 words should be sent to both conference organisers, and by **1 September 2009**.

Programme and full conference details will be available at:

www.nottingham.ac.uk/moss and www.nottingham.ac.uk/nirv

CFP: Liszt and France Interdisciplinary Conference (Villecroze and Paris)

LISZT AND FRANCE: INTERNATIONAL INTERDISCIPLINARY CONFERENCE
VILLECROZE (PROVENCE) AND PARIS
15 - 19 MARCH 2011
CALL FOR PAPERS

Organized by the Académie musicale de Villecroze (Provence) and the Cité de la Musique (Paris) for the bicentenary of Liszt's birth

Conference coordinators: Nicolas Dufetel, Malou Haine and Orhan Memed

From 1823 to 1844, Franz Liszt stayed mainly in France, despite his European concert tours that began in the late 1830's. Thereafter, many ties bound him to France, even if his career drove him far from the country. While it is important to recall the various evidences of Liszt's attachment to most European nations, France played a key role in his education, in his oeuvre, and in the development of his international career.

Liszt's relations with France have never been studied in a systematic and epistemological manner. Whether at historical, musical or aesthetic levels, many shadows remain. Several areas of research are waiting to be investigated and others are still to be uncovered. Liszt's relations with personalities and French current events should be examined further since this subject has often been limited to superficial documentary studies. We must enhance our perception of Liszt's relationship with French personalities and deepen our understanding of social networks (artists, politics, piano makers, publishers, etc.). It is also necessary to think through what the music of Liszt owes to France or to the "French spirit" as seen from the country, or from abroad, whether concerning musical language, or musical forms, aesthetics, etc.

This call for papers is intended to seek studies meeting two fundamental criteria, both deeply connected to each other: research that breaks new ground and source material. The papers, in French or English, should be motivated by those two issues and focused on topics in relation to France. They aim to open up widely on other subjects: literature, history of arts, aesthetics, political and social sciences, history of ideas, etc.

Proposals for papers will be anonymously submitted to the Scientific Committee, composed of specialists from several countries, who will judge them on the basis of fulfillment with all criteria specified above. The applications must be returned by June, 1st, 2009 (see the complete version of the call for papers: http://www.academie-villecroze.com/). The selection notice will be sent to the selected speakers on 15 October 2009.

The cost of round trip between the lecturer's residence and the conference centre will be paid by the organizers, provided that the speaker agrees to submit by 30 June 2011 the text of his paper for the publication of the proceedings.

Complete version of the call for papers: http://www.academie-villecroze.com/

Contact information: dufetel.nicolas at wanadoo.fr

CFP: Space in Medieval France (Sorbonne)

SPACE IN MEDIEVAL FRANCE
6TH ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM OF THE INTERNATIONAL MEDIEVAL SOCIETY
UNIVERSITE' DE PARIS I (SORBONNE), FRANCE
24 - 26 JUNE 2009
CALL FOR PAPERS

Deadline for Submissions: 1 February 2009
Keynote speakers: Dominique Iogna-Prat and Philippe Plagnieux

The International Medieval Society of Paris (IMS-Paris) is soliciting abstracts for individual papers and proposals for complete sessions for its 2009 Symposium organized around the theme of space in medieval France.

Questions about ideas of space have recently invigorated the field of medieval studies, challenging prevailing Modernist views that the concept of space only existed from the Renaissance onward. The Sorbonne's collection Constructions de l'espace au Moyen Age: pratiques et représentations (2007) showcases recent historical research on spatiality, particularly regarding geographical limits and boundaries, as well as the role of space in social relations and practices, while Sarah Kay's Place of Thought (2007) re-evaluates the complexity of the locus communis from a literary perspective. These publications complement ongoing investigations by historians of visual culture into the dynamic meanings, uses and phenomenologies of medieval space.

This symposium aims to generate an interdisciplinary forum on space in medieval France between c. 500 and c. 1500 that will enrich these ongoing debates and our knowledge of space in the Middle Ages by approaching the subject from a variety of perspectives. Papers should address France, Francia or post-Roman Gaul in some way, but they need
not be exclusively limited to this geographic area.

We encourage papers on the following topics, as well as papers for open sessions in all disciplines:
• Public and private space
• Walls, boundaries, limits
• The shape of space in medieval art, architecture, and music
• Space or place?
• Astronomy
• Sacred and profane space
• Commercial space
• Performance and the use of space
• Space and identity in the medieval city

Abstracts in French or English of 300 words or less for a 20-minute paper should be e-mailed to contact@ims-paris.org no later than 1 February 2009. In addition to the abstract, please submit full contact information, a CV and a tentative assessment of any audiovisual equipment required for your presentation.

The deadline for abstract submission is 1 February 2009. The IMS will review submissions and respond via e-mail by 15 February 2009. Titles of accepted papers will be made available on the IMS web site. Authors of accepted papers will be responsible for their own travel costs and conference registration fee (35 euros, reduced for students).

The IMS-Paris is an interdisciplinary and bilingual (French/English) organization founded to serve as a centre for medievalists who research, work, study, or travel to France. For more information about the IMS and the schedule of last year's Symposium, please see our website: www.ims-paris.org.

More IAML08 and a French portal to contemporary resources

It's Bank Holiday Monday with no sun (but fortunately no rain as well) here in London and I wanted to blog a bit more about IAML08. London's overcast skies stand in stark contrast to the weather in Naples where the sun was shining every day. Having lived in London only 4 years I am continually impressed by the efficient public transportation from the Underground to network rail and the extensive bus lines whether you are going to one of the airports or just fumbling around the capital. Arriving in Naples on an Easyjet flight, plans to take a bus from the airport to the city were immediately thwarted by a sciopero or strike/industrial action (which was one of several to encumber la mia esperienza di Napoli.)

Local public transportation scioperi aside, my penchant for trying new forms of transport were rewarded by taking the funicolare (below) which climb the sides of Naples much like the cable-cars in San Francisco but instead go through tunnels up the hills of the city and are unhindered by traffic.

I particularly like this shot of the funicolare arriving into Morghen from Montesanto. (I think the driver reading the newspaper whilst in operation would be a nice job for the summer!)

Now onto one of the conference presentations: a new (French) portal to contemporary resources. Michael Fingerhut of IRCAM presented (http://www.musiquecontemporaine.fr/) which was a joint venture between IRCAM, the Cdmc - (Centre de documentation de la musique contemporaine), Cité de la musique, the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Paris, and the Médiathèque Musicale Mahler. With the goal of creating a single portal for contemporary music, the website serves as a virtual catalogue (with facets for text, score, audio, video, biography, event, training and programme notes) as well as pulling together performance, lecture and exhibition information at the various institutions. The main interface is now available in bilingual versions of French and English.

Front page of http://www.musiquecontemporaine.fr

Running a search in the interface one can initially only search by one facet (in the recherche express). Once you have a search result you can further refine by the facets listed above. Materials which are accessible from your location are denoted with a green circle. (Most files, particularly the audio and video files, are only fully accessible on-site in one of the institutions due to licensing restrictions.)

It is hoped that ongoing negotiations with rights holders societies will allow more materials to be available remotely. For now, short excerpts of audio recordings are available usually up to about 3 minutes. Once you click on the 'listen to an excerpt' (Ecoutez un extrait) - a browser like this will display:

Example of the site's embedded media player

I can get excerpts to play in IE, but have had problems with Mozilla which may be just a script issue. In any case, in spite of the time restrictions, it is nice to hear excerpts of recent premieres and other works that may not even get recorded and read the notes and thoughts of living composers' latest compositions. I hope that the powers that be at IRCAM and the various performing societies will allow a license for academic institutions outside France so that those in the EU and throughout the world can fully benefit from this digital resource.