Orthodoxy as cultural heritage in Vuk Kulenovic’s Hilandarska zvona
The cultural, social, political, and religious identity of various communities has often been preserved through certain musical manifestations which reflect historical and aesthetic developments, and solidify traditions. Hilandarska zvona, a short piece for solo piano written by Vuk Kulenović, expresses the cultural context of Serbian Orthodoxy, and the wartime period during which it was composed. The title translates to “Bells of Hilandar,” referencing the bells of a specific monastery on holy Mount Athos, a significant centre of Serbian culture and spirituality.
Composed in 1992, one year after the onset of the war that led to the breakup of Yugoslavia, this piece resonates with Kulenović’s own experiences as a native of that region. Musicologists (specifically, Medić [2020, p. 173]) suggest that Kulenović’s choice to name the piece after the bells of the Hilandar Monastery – a symbol of Serbian culture – reflects an effort to reinforce the faith of the Yugoslav people and remind them of their resilience during a time of hardship.
The bell ringing of this monastery, which Kulenović seeks to illustrate, primarily employs the performative techniques of Russian Orthodox zvon ringing. However, it also showcases a unique quasi-pentatonic harmonic organisation that differentiates it from traditional zvon bell ringing.
In Hilandarska zvona, two musical codes can be linked to the Orthodox zvon bell ringing school and to the harmonic framework of the Hilandar bells: simultaneous layers with distinct rhythmic speeds, and the predominance of pentatonic melodic and harmonic structures.
This presentation will examine these features from the perspective of topic theory, which explores how specific musical elements convey expressive meanings through associations to references that are external to the score – these are named “topics”. Such associations rely on shared cultural, historical, and social knowledge. The aim is to elucidate the characteristics that enable the identification of the Hilandar monastery’s bell ringing within this composition.
Additionally, I will propose specific performative resources concerning tempo, dynamics, and pedalling derived from practical experimentation on the piano. These are meant to emphasise the connection between the simultaneous layers with distinct rhythmic movement in this piece and the triple polyrhythmic layers of zvon bell ringing, and between the quasi-pentatonic organisation of Hilandarska zvona and that of the Hilandar monastery’s bells.
Bells can be seen as auditory markers that connect people to time, space and ritual; their organisation in the form of patterned rings represents a cultural soundscape that both accompanies social and historical development through time and yet remains unchanged, a pillar of constancy. In this piano piece, bells represent this soundscape, as seen through the composer’s social, aesthetic and affective context.
Keywords: cultural heritage, bells, topic theory
Biography
Taíssa Marchese (artistically known as Taíssa Poliakova Cunha) is a Portuguese-Russian pianist. She holds a master’s degree in music from the University of Aveiro and is currently pursuing a PhD in Piano Performance at the University of Évora, where she also teaches Piano and Chamber Music. As both a soloist and chamber musician, Taíssa has received several awards, performed at national and international festivals, and appeared as a soloist with some of the most prominent orchestras in Portugal, Brazil and Ukraine. She maintains an active concert career, giving solo recitals and performing in chamber music, opera, and theatre settings. She covers a wide range of repertoires, focusing on Romantic, twentieth century, contemporary, and Portuguese music. Her discography includes a chamber music album featuring works by Portuguese composers dedicated to Beethoven (2022), as well as an album honouring Portuguese female pianists, which was nominated for the Prémios Play da Música Portuguesa (2024).
University of Évora, Portugal – taissamarchese@gmail.com