Abstract
This dissertation explores a new sphere of interdisciplinary and intercultural studies by examining the relationship between music and literature in the works of early 20th century Japanese and Hebrew writers. Through the combination of close readings of texts from the first few decades of the 20th century, analysis of musical works, and historical research, this dissertation aims to elucidate the way in which Japanese and Hebrew writers used Western classical music to negotiate their literary and cultural identity while also exploring the artistic vision these writers created by combining music and literature. The dissertation thus focuses on instances of “verbal music” as they appear in the literature of the time, specifically in the works of Japanese writers such as Nagai Kafū, Shiga Naoya, and Shimazaki Tōson, and Hebrew writers such as Leah Goldberg, Uri Nissan Gnessin, Ya’akov Horwitz, and others. Using the tools developed in the field of Word and Music studies, this dissertation brings into relief how Japanese and Hebrew writers used the combination between literature and music to reflect on ideas about culture and literary creation. Due to the interdisciplinary and intercultural nature of its research subject, this dissertation contributes to several different fields including world literature, word and music studies, Japanese studies, and Hebrew literature, and thus opens a new approach to literary studies which makes use of the broad view of world literature without losing sight of cultural uniqueness, while also bringing into relief certain tensions between the affinity towards European culture and commitment to their own that preocupied many Japanese and Hebrew writers of the 20th century.