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MUSIC REVIEW
Entrepreneurial spirit

by Joel Crotty
December 2004

Romanian Women Composers, vol. 1
Irinel AnghelóFascination II; Doina RotaruóUmbre (Shadows) II; Maia CiobanuóIt shall come!; Myriam MarbeóHaykus; Mihaela Stanculescu-VosganianóArmenian Interferences/ ProContemporania Ensemble.
Enquiries about this CD should be addressed to the Union of Composers and Musicologists (telephone 212 7974).

While in Bucharest a couple of months ago to reconnect with my musical colleagues I noticed a far stronger entrepreneurial spirit than previously encountered. Composers are promoting their own work rather than relying on someone else to be the go-between. This is a positive sign of maturity, and one that has finally pushed to the side the idea of the state being the only benefactor.
One composer who has accepted the challenge to go forth and develop networks both in Romania and abroad is Mihaela Stanculescu-Vosganian.	Mihaela Stanculescu-Vosganian

Undoubtedly, she has copped some flak from her colleagues for her self-promotion but it should not stop her from continuing her quest for recognition and performances. The art of promotion and publicity is not an easy one, as it involves countless emails, telephone calls, and hours at post offices sending scores and CDs to various organisations. Composers who criticise other composers for getting out there and offering their music to the world are usually the ones who wait for people to come to them. In this political and cultural climate the wait is, unfortunately, long and very frustrating.

Nonetheless, a composer can be very businesslike but if the product is inferior then success will not be forthcoming. This charge cannot be directed at Stanculescu-Vosganian's work. I still cherish some positive memories of her Saxophone Concerto, and for someone like me who listens to copious amounts of music this reaction is not an insincere one.

In 2001 Stanculescu-Vosganian founded the Romanian Association of Women in Art (ARFA). She gathered around her not only musicians but dancers, choreographers and visual artists. The outcomes have been collaborations and events across the artistic spectrum. For example, the CD under review was a direct outcome of the collaboration between the ARFA and a sculpture exhibition featuring the work of Alina Enache - the CDs front cover is an example of the sculptor's work.

The CD represents the work of Irinel Anghel, Doina Rotaru, Maia Ciobanu, Myriam Marbe, and Mihaela Stanculescu-Vosganian. It is a good cross section of Romanian women composers. Most of the music is quite atmospheric, possibly too much so. Contrasts are confined to nuance rather than great leaps around the stylistic palette. The strongest compositions on the disc are those by Marbe and Stanculescu-Vosganian. Marbe's Haykus for flute and piano has multiple musical territories that the composer has expertly integrated; while Stanculescu-Vosganian's Armenian Interferences for mezzo-soprano, clarinet and bass clarinet, and string quartet has engaging interrelationships between the various instruments.

The performances are quite good, as is the sound engineering of the various pieces. People interested in contemporary music that comes from the creative minds of women should chase up a copy through the Union of Composers and Musicologists.

Joel Crotty lectures on music at Monash University, Melbourne, and writes music reviews for The Age.