My dissertation provides a detailed description of the interaction between verb semantics and the two grammatical voice categories (that is, middle and active voice) in the Vedic Sanskrit of the... Show moreMy dissertation provides a detailed description of the interaction between verb semantics and the two grammatical voice categories (that is, middle and active voice) in the Vedic Sanskrit of the Rigveda (which is the earliest text of the Old-Indic religious tradition, datable to plus/minus 1500 BC). I give a full synchronic description of the middle voice semantic cluster (including a list of all middle readings) and the verbal lexicon with regard to valency and semantic transitivity. In addition, the two last chapters are devoted to paradigmatic voice marking asymmetries found in the text which point to a particular prehistory of its voice system. Show less
The performance practice of Italian instrumental music in relation to vocal music and text: Sources and their modern realization. In my work I have shown that in the second half of the 18th century... Show moreThe performance practice of Italian instrumental music in relation to vocal music and text: Sources and their modern realization. In my work I have shown that in the second half of the 18th century in Italy, one prepared instrumental music for performance with the help of texts. Central to this work is a treatise by Benvenuto Robbio Conte di San Raffaele stemming from the circle around Giuseppe Tartini which demonstrates the various steps of learning instrumental music through text underlay. Based on this, I could show how in various genres (solfeggi, recitatives, arias) numerous composers (Domenico Corri, Francesco Geminiani, Guiseppe Tartini) used texts and singing in preparing instrumental music for performance. The influence of this sort of “vocal” preparation on the interpretation of instrumental music has proved itself to be very fruitful in my own playing as well as in my work with students. Show less
The Roman military belt was a "marker" piece of equipment of the Roman soldier, distinguishing him from civilians when he was not wearing arms and armour. This is corroborated both by ancient... Show moreThe Roman military belt was a "marker" piece of equipment of the Roman soldier, distinguishing him from civilians when he was not wearing arms and armour. This is corroborated both by ancient literature and the frequency and accuracy of the depictions of the military belt on the gravestones of the soldiers. The immense ideological value invested in the belt originated in its function as sword belt, but then developed independently from it. This comprehensive study of the Roman military belt combines the written sources with the pictorial representations of belts and the archaeological finds of the metal mounts, buckles and hangers of the belt. In addition to discussing typological features and analysing the distribution and dating of the different types, questions on the social significance of this distinct piece of equipment are discussed. The book aims to give as broad a picture as possible of the Roman military belt; from its origins and development to its visual, acoustic and physical characteristics and from its ideological value to its influence on the everyday posture of the Roman soldier. Show less
