Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Academic Snobbery: Local Historians Need More Support [4 April], Ian C. Willis

Faculty of Arts - Papers (Archive)

Local history is one of the most popular forms of history in Australia. Yet there is a yawning gap between the enthusiastic amateur and the academic historian.

While some academic historians engage with local history, sadly there is an entrenched snobbery from the academy. From the other side, the enthusiastic amateur is too wound up with a parochial approach to local history and often doesn’t see the bigger picture.

If both sides can engage with each other, the result would be a better type of history practise and a greater contribution to the story of Australia.

Sibelius Cycle Preconcert And Radio Talks (4), Sydney Symphony/Ashkenazy, Sydney Opera House, Andrew N. Schultz

Faculty of Creative Arts - Papers (Archive)

It Is interesting to consider the connection between hardship, suffering and turmoil in a composer's life and the capacity to create superb symphonic work. The three great symphonists of the early twentieth century show this even though they had radically different approaches to their work. Mahler was not crippled by his numerous personal tragedies but drew on them to create symphonies of transcendent scale. Shostakovlch lived through vast social and political upheaval and had to struggle to survive the Soviet system yet created public statements in his symphonies that are by turns bizarre, Ironic and triumphant. Sibelius also lived through …