musica - Studia

STUDIA UBB MUSICA, LVII, 1, 2012 (p. 79-102)
(RECOMMENDED CITATION)
FROM THE METAPHOR OF WATER TO CORRESPONDENCES
BETWEEN ENESCU, EMINESCU, BLAGA AND
THE ROMANIAN SPIRITUALITY 1
OLGUŢA LUPU 2
SUMMARY. In the work of George Enescu, nature is regarded not as an
intrinsic reality, but rather as an array of elements permanently interacting with
the human being, giving birth to a complex connection, sometimes manifested
through a harmonious communion, other times garnering dramatic dimensions.
Of all the primordial elements, the symbol of water marks Enescu’s entire
creation, illustrating the complexity of the relationship between man and nature:
from the serene and melancholic pages of his youth, that broach the romantic
genre of character miniature (barcarola), to the works characterized by a
nostalgic and introspective component with a touch of memoir (in Childhood
Impressions or The Villageoise Suite), all the way to the tragedy in Vox Maris –
whose similarities with Oedipus require further investigation. Starting from the
symbol of water, certain correspondences could be established between
Enescu, Eminescu, Blaga and the Romanian spirituality.
Keywords: Enescu, music, water, sea, river, symbolism, Eminescu, Blaga,
Romanian spirituality
Symbolism of Water
Essential in the formulation and perpetuation of life, water is, in most
mythologies, the primordial element that stood at the basis of evolution from
undefined Chaos to orderly Universe. Under different guises, from a vast body of
water, the seeds of life emerge (Sumerian, Vedic, Egyptian or Iranian mythology);
the same body of water precedes the creation of other elements, such as light,
sky and earth (Mesopotamian culture, The Old Testament). A metaphor of both
1 A short version of this article – entitled “Symbolism of water in the work of George Enescu” –
was presented in the “George Enescu International Musicology Symposium”, being also
published in: “Proceedings of the George Enescu International Musicology Symposium,
Bucharest, 2011”, edited by Mihai Cosma, Editura Muzicalǎ, Bucureşti, 2011, vol. I, p. 71-78.
2 Associate Professor, Ph.D. - National University of Music, Bucharest, str. Ştirbei Vodǎ, nr. 33,
sector 1, Bucureşti. E-mail: dinu_olga@yahoo.com