Illustrations in Sheet Music and Music Literature for Children of the First Half of the 20th Century as a Symptom of Multidisciplinarity

Pages	5–22
DOI	10.37520/amnpsc.2023.0021
Keywords	illustration – music – literature – children and youth – popular culture – folklore – art education
Type of Article	Peer-reviewed
Citation	ROKYTOVÁ, Bronislava. Illustrations in Sheet Music and Music Literature for Children of the First Half of the 20th Century as a Symptom of Multidisciplinarity. Acta Musei Nationalis Pragae – Historia litterarum. Prague: National Museum, 2023, 68(3-4), 5–22. DOI: https://doi.org/10.37520/amnpsc.2023.0021. ISSN 2570-6861 (Print), 2570-687X (Online). Also available from: https://www.nm.cz/en/periodicals/acta-musei-nationalis-pragae-historia-litterarum/68-3-4/illustrations-in-sheet-music-and-music-literature-for-children-of-the-first-half-of-the-20th-century-as-a-symptom-of-multidisciplinarity

Acta Musei Nationalis Pragae – Historia litterarum | 2023/68/3-4

At the beginning of the 21st century, it seems to be normal for children’s books to be accompanied not only by illustrations but often also by sounds. They are in electronic form, stimulate tactile sensations and, within a certain space, step into the realm of augmented reality. Nevertheless, pictures made their way to books for children’s readers only slowly, and their application in professionally oriented literature, in the case of this study focused on music, was even more complicated. A more obvious interconnection between music and image in culture and especially in art can be traced in relation to social, political and cultural development. Illustrations of sheet music and music-related literature reacted to changes in practical, pedagogical and theoretical education without initially taking into account the needs of child development. The study highlights reforms in pedagogical principles and the initiatives of numerous publishers of specialised music editions. It examines works leading to a one-sided view of children’s music literature with respect to the assessment of the overall artistic level in the general context of book illustration as well as the scope from low to high art while taking into account theoretical reflections on mass and popular culture. Its aim is to indicate a direction foreshadowing multidisciplinary concepts, which have become a natural expression of contemporary art.

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