The role of A. Norst’s activities in the research of musical culture of Bukovyna

Abstract

The scientific topicality of the work lies in the study of the history of musical art of Bukovyna and identification of the role of individual personalities in the formation of the region’s musicological opinion. Among the figures of culture, art and education of Bukovyna, an important role was played by Anton Norst, whose cultural works have been known since the time of Austria-Hungary and have gained relevance and new recognition in our time. He became one of the first and most famous researchers of the culture and art of Bukovyna. Therefore, a need arose for scientific evaluation of his research and an outline of the significance of his activities in the process of formation and development of musicology in Bukovyna. The purpose of the article is to determine the role of Anton Norst in the study of musical culture of Bukovyna and the description of his work “The Society for the Promotion of Musical Art in Bukovyna. 1862–1902”. The methodology. While preparing the article, several research methods were used, in particular, biographical, historical, cultural and deductive, which made it possible to reveal new facts of Anton Norst’s life and determine his role in the development of musicology in Bukovyna. The results. One can learn about the development of Bukovynian culture, its musical life and the role of individual personalities in the process of the region’s cultural upliftment from the works of scientists, musicians and public figures of that time. Among the works of the Austro-Hungarian period, Anton Norst’s German-language work “The Society for the Promotion of Musical Art in Bukovyna. 1862–1902” stands out. A. Norst is an active participant and co-founder of numerous societies, chairman and honorary member of the Union of Journalists and Writers of Bukovyna. He is the author of numerous publications, poems, short stories, comic strips and reviews. Anton Norst’s edition is timed to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of creation of the organization that contributed to the development of musical art and education in the region. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that for the first time the role of Anton Norst in the development of musicology in Bukovyna was determined and an assessment of his work dedicated to musical and cultural processes in Chernivtsi during the Austro-Hungarian rule was given. Conclusions. The first cultural studies that appeared in Bukovyna are of significant value for modern musicology. Anton Norst’s book “The Society for the Promotion of Musical Art in Bukovyna. 1862–1902” was such a work. It became an important source of information about the development of musical culture of the region in the XIX — early XX centuries and a model of historical musicology of that time.