Professor claims referring to famous composers by just their last names is 'White supremacy’
The professor suggested we refer to famous composers by their full names
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A music theory professor argued In an article published Saturday that referring to famous composers by only their last names is a form of White supremacy that needs to be remedied.
Chris White, who teachers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, suggested that well-known composers like Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven, ought to be referred to by their full names so as to put them on an equal footing with lesser-known composers.
A violin placed over a piece of sheet music. (anyquestions.govt.nz)
Writing in Slate, White noted how many people do not notice when “’traditional’ White male composers are introduced with only surnames,” while “everyone else” – i.e., “women and composers of color” – are referred to by their full name.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}White pointed to a review of a recent Louisville Orchestra performance. The article praised the ensemble’s performance of a “Beethoven” composition, as well as a piece dedicated to Breonna Taylor, written by “Davóne Tines” and “Igee Dieudonné.”
Such two-tiered nomenclature, White argued, is indicative of “centuries of systematic prejudice, exclusion, sexism, and racism” within music.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“It’s time we paid attention to the inequity inherent in how we talk about composers, and it’s time for the divided naming convention to change,” White said.
White’s article comes amid a recent explosion in studies that apprently show male-centrism and White supremacy embedded in music theory.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In August, multiple faculty members at the University of North Texas College of Music drew outrage for pushing back against music theorist Philip Ewell, who discussed “music theory’s White racial frame” during a presentation last year.