ETHNOMUSICOLOGY CONNECTED TO BULGARIA - A VIEW OF THE FIELD OF FIELDWORK

The purpose and importance of fieldwork is obvious to every ethnomusicologist and needs no explanation. Yet, any ethnomusicologist would be interested to learn the fieldwork practices of their colleagues. A close examination of the fieldwork of ethnomusicologists united by their interest in the folk music of Bulgaria could be a basis for systematic review of common fieldwork problems. Different paradigms of fieldwork emerged as a result of different concepts and views of ethnomusicology as a scientific discipline. This paper will distinguish and partially interpret various approaches and achievements in the fieldwork of Bulgarian researchers on one side, and the contributions of researchers from Western Europe and Northern America on the other.