CFP (articles): Contemporary Perspectives on the Legacy of Elise Hall (1853-1924)

[AMS]

Special edited volume: Contemporary Perspectives on the Legacy of Elise Hall (1853–1924)

Editors
Dr. Kurt Bertels, (BE) kurt.bertels -at- luca-arts.be
Dr. Adrianne Honnold, (US) ahonnold-at- lewisu.edu

In 2024 the saxophone community will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the death of Elise Boyer Hall (1853–1924), a pioneering saxophonist and patron who played an integral role in the instrument’s history. To mark this occasion, a contemporary approach to understanding Hall’s legacy will form the thread of an edited volume.

Hall learned how to play the saxophone at the end of the nineteenth century in an attempt to counteract the acceleration of a hearing impairment. A promising amateur saxophonist, longtime Francophile, and president of the Boston Orchestral Club, she was actively engaged in the musical communities in both Boston and Paris. Research has been conducted that provides essential historical and biographical details of her life, but an investigation into the broader sociocultural significance of her endeavors has not been explored in contemporary contexts.

As a performer and patron of means, Hall was responsible for several notable commissions of internationally renowned composers that resulted in significant contributions to the classical saxophone repertoire. Her activities had an impact not only on the saxophone community, but also on the musical and cultural life of Boston and the United States at large. To this end, what are the implications of Hall’s patronage, participation in amateur music-making, gender, and disability on the legacy of the saxophone and its repertoire, broadly conceived? Did the factors related to her identity shape perceptions of the saxophone in the early twentieth century? How can we translate or understand her legacy today?

For our planned special volume, we would like to invite scholars with diverse, interdisciplinary backgrounds to link various inquiries into Hall’s impact with broader perspectives on early twentieth century music from a contemporary standpoint. Possible research perspectives are:
Elise Hall’s repertoire
Early female saxophonists/saxophone and gender
Pioneering wind soloists
Instrumental performance practice
Patronage and wind music
Amateur musicians and musicianship
Music performance and disability studies
American-European collaboration in music
The development of American music and culture

21 March 2022: short bio (100 words) and abstracts (250 words) due

For more information: http://www.adriannesaxophone.com/blog/2021/12/14/call-for-papers-contemporary-perspectives-on-the-legacy-of-elise-hall