PROJECTS (BEGINNING) 2002

A. CENTRE’S Construction (suite)

1. Centre’s construction (suite)

According to a three years scheduling, for the 2002, the Center goes work for:

a. Completing the Studio for the restoration of recordings
b. Buying the Server.
c. Buying a digital Docu-Copy apparatus for publications. d. Complementary items of furniture.
e. Adaptation of the infrastructures.
f. Staff and staff training.

2. The Center as public information space

Albanian libraries, even the specialized libraries, don't possess updated publications on possibilities of orientation for the Albanian musicians in the international musical life (publications containing addresses of music institutions, musical life, music associations, the music industry etc.). In Albania this literature is only by chance and that in the private libraries.
Of the other part, the reference works (dictionaries of music, lexicons, music encyclopaedias etc.) are very rare, old editions and, in languages very little usable today in Albania (Russian etc.).
It is the reason of which, to attend all interested the Center begins the foundation of a specialized mini - library with reference works and music directories (yearbooks) from different countries. Since in Albania musicians don't use one alone (international) language, this library is going to contain books in all languages more used in Europe, in English, in French, in German and in Italian. We hold that this library especially collects books and CDs.
Thus, the Center also completed its function of a public space for the information on the world musical life. This service is going to be free.

B. Data Bank

1. The identification of the manuscripts’ inventory in the Albanian archives and libraries (Scores and recordings).
Time period - 3 years (2002 – 2005)

Description

In Albanian archives and Libraries there is a considerable amount of manuscripts (scores and writings) as well as audio, photo and video documents, which are not available to the public at large. The quality of their conservation is unknown to us. In this situation, the survey and the possible restoration of these documents is very difficult; firstly the information about the place and the possessors lacks completely; secondly the access in certain institutions involves very complicated formalities.
In order to facilitate the access of these documents and to program their possible restoration, the Centre will identify and publish, by a triennial plan (2002 - 2005), the general inventory of all libraries, archives and private documents of/about Albanian music. This inventory will be accompanied by complementary information about the state of the documents and necessities of their restoration.

2. Çesk Zadeja - a complete Data Bank(Handwritings, books & articles, recordings)
Author - Klement Kola, Academy of Sciences, Tirana. Time planned for the publication: December 2002.

Description

The composer Çesk Zadeja is the first Albanian composer. His work and his activity are impressive and in addition Mr. Zadeja put fundaments of Albanian school of music. Among others Mr. Zadeja composed the first Albanian symphony, the first Albanian ballet and the first Albanian sonata.
Until today no one can tell a definitive word at least on the quantity of his work. This work is dispersed countrywide and information misses completely. To some places (institutions in the destruction or reorganization process, families etc.) his works are not inventoried and risk being lost. And of the other part we know not the state of his manuscripts himself - in certain places even miss the minimal conditions to preserve them (air-conditioning, humidity etc.) and quite a lot of times the manuscripts are also used for daily necessities (consultations, concerts etc.).
It is the reason whose Center undertakes the initiative of identification and the publication of a complete Data Bank on the work of the this composer as well as on writings about it.
This Data Bank would be very useful for musicologists and historians of Albanian music, for the specialized institutions and also for students of music schools and the Academy of Arts. The more part of works of the M. Zadeja is for a long time an integral part of the traditional repertoire of Albanian musical life and also occupies an important place in the educational repertoire of music schools. This music is often played in concerts, she is taught in the schools etc., and the present information missing, publication missing etc., creates numerous difficulties in all domains of the musical life.
It is the goal of the project - to facilitate to all interested parties the access in the work of this important Albanian composer and to document his activity definitely.
This project is also the first step of the Center toward the development of a complete Data Bank about all actors of Albanian music.

3. Balkan Music Yearbook 2003 - 2004

The preparation and the publication of a Balkan Music Directory. Information are in process of verification and elaboration. The publication is planned for the first months of 2003.

C. Documentation

1. Leaflets of albanian musicians

Publication Time: 2003 – 2005 publication of other leaflets according to the detailed annual plans.

Description

This lack of information, many times, is conditioned by the specific features of present cultural life in Albania. The state cultural "policies" encourage, for the utilitarian and demagogic goals, more and more the practices of the consum art , of populism and the kitsch. The alternative musical life is even weak and the financial possibilities lack. The impressive quantity of activities (concerts, publications etc.,) organized in this setting are achieved with difficulty. The more part of them only survives thanks to collaborations with the foreign partners and very courageous tactics of management.
Of the other part, the legislative setting which could sustain a balanced development of Albanian musical life is incomplete and permits in constant manner abuse possibilities. The laws on the sponsoring is inadequate to the present conditions of Albania, is not attractive for the middle bussines that determin the present development of the country. The state possesses quite a lot of means to create a positive climate for the culture, but the legal authority of central or local institution directors is exaggerated and, in conditions of the total misses of a constructive vision about the development of Albanian culture, the biggest financial means part are used for the momentary goals.
Finally, to the private (composers, musicians or wholes) miss the financial means to even achieve a modest advertisement on their activity. A musician's salary doesn't allow him to publish an leaflet or a catalogue on his activity. The music NGO-s and music Ensembles or orchestras, them either, don't possess means. And the state doesn't make the least effort to promote persons that create and promotes the cultural life of the country. Therefore (if one doesn't count some individual efforts) information that Albania transmits in the domain of music is nearly non-existent.
It is the reason ofthat the Center, in the setting of its activity of promotion and information on Albanian music, proposes the project of long length (4 years) of the publication of the leaflets on the activity of composers, musicians and of the Albanian Ensembles of music.

2. A documentation CD with Albanian music

The argument

Albanian associations of music in the last 10 years succeeded to fill with success the hiatus which the transition period who crossed from a total centralization of the cultural life existing in Albania in the time of Communism, to conditions of an anarchical market economy without precise rules, could create in the domain of the composition and the musical life. (without counting a few rare personal efforts). But until now this music isn’t recorded in C7 or CD.
Associations of music don't possess the financial and technical means to achieve some similar enterprises. The state cultural policies are not interested on this domain. The private industries follow some other policies - it is the market, which imposes the choice of productions, and we know well that the "classic" contemporary music of the Albanian composers is not so interesting for the market. Composers, them either, don't possess the financial means to produce CDS with their music.
The result? After the first, the works of the Albanian composers, which are very successful in country and abroad, remain nearly unknown. After the first they stop living. After the first, these works don't have the luck to be framed in a regular and continuous musical life, because it doesn't exist in Albania. Public radio programs don't have means to promote this music and private radios and televisions are not interested. And this hiatus becomes even more obvious if we observe that in Albania doesn't exist a CD production house.
It is the reason that the Center in collaboration with Falçata-Galia Recordings / Tariff RECORDS, USA and the ASMUS Ensemble proposes to realize a promotional CD with Albanian contemporary music.

3. Composers of the Region (Balkan)

After the publication of the Balkan Music Calendar 2000, Art Music in the Balkans and Balkan Music Yearbook 2002 - 2003, the Centre will continue its work for the realisation of a complete Data Bank on the regional music (Balkan) with the dictionary The Composers of the Region. This document will contain information about all composers of art music of the Balkan countries (Albania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Macedonia, Romania, Turkey, and Yugoslavia), and probably composers of Croatia and Slovenia. Each composer will be presented by his artistic biography, a list of compositions as well as theoretical works, and the entries will be accompanied by a selected bibliography.
This Dictionary will be another important contribution towards the knowledge of the Balkans’ musical culture and will contribute qualitatively in the facilitation of exchanges between Balkan countries as well as between these countries and the rest of the world.
The Composers of the Region will be published in English according to the alphabetic criteria of the represented countries.

D. Music Books Program – 2002

The books program (in co-operation with ASMUS Edition) will aim primarily at producing Albanian books for music schools (the insufficiencies of teaching materials continue to be problematic), books about contemporary music, and new music scores from Albanian and Balkan composers.
For the year 2002 the planned books are:

A. School Books:
1. A concise Theory of Music (for Music Schools)
2. Shupo, Sokol Prof. - The new music notation

B. Serie After ’45: <br>
1. Swedish MIC - Swedish Music after ‘45
2. Iva Prodanova (?)- Serbian Music after ‘45

C. History of music:
1. W. A. Mozart - Epistolarium

In the preparatory phase (the publication of these books is planned for the 2003)
1. The composers of the region
2. The music manuscripts inventory of the Albanian archives and libraries.
3. Kola, Klement - Çesk Zadeja - a complete Data Bank, Handwritings, books & articles, recordings

2. Meetings, Summer Regional Music School for young composers (Tirana, last week of October 2002)

Description

Following the experience of the TICOM Ensemble für Neue Musik, Innsbruck, Austria, and in cooperation with him, the ISCM Albanian Section, has planned to organize in the last week of the September 2002: “Meetings”. A Summer School for young composers. The Meetings aim to encourage the young composers of the different countries as well to encourage the cooperation between them.
The Meetings will gather in Tirana every last week of September (2002 – 2006) ca 14 young composers (up to 30 years old) from countries of southeast Europe and the rest of Europe to work under the direction of professors (professors will be select among the important composers of the contemporary music) for a period of 7 days.
In these courses the young composers will present and discuss their compositions (a number of three concert is planned for these compositions) and will compose a new composition for the final concert.
The “Meetings” is programmed for a period of 4 years. In first three years the number of participants (students) will be 42. In the final year (fourth year), to all participants will be commissioned a new composition for ASMUS Ensemble. In this edition will be invited all participants.
Fields of training: computer music and new music.

F. Cooperations

1. Tirana Automn 02 (12. 10 - 21. 12.2002)

Description

Organized as a concert season (from the year 2000) the 2002 edition of the Tirana Autumn Festival will consist of 16 concerts, a large number of workshops at the Arts Academy of Tirana, a painting exhibitions program and a music book promotion program.
The strong points of this edition are the quality of its events, the cooperation of foreign musicians with the Albanian musicians (common concerts, works of the Albanian composers played by the foreign musicians and vice versa etc.), the encouragement of young musicians, the promotion of new works from Albanian composers by commissions etc.

2. General Meeting of the Balkan Music Information Network (BMIN), Tirana, February 24 – 27, 2003

Founded in 1998 in Tirana, the Balkan Music Information Network, is formed by 16 music NGOs and music institutions from all the region. Its objectives - to facilitate exchanges of information, music and musicians between regional countries and between these countries and the remainder of the world.
Activities - Publications (Balkan Music Calendar 2000, Art Music in the Balkan, Balkan Music Yearbook etc. Concerts with the music of regional composers (Tirana 1998, 1999, Skopje 2000, Bucharest 2001, Tirana 2002 )etc.