Abstract

Mariana Popescu, through her portraits of musicians, explored a cultural dimension, meaning, Bessarabia, a Romanian land. What resulted was a profound research work in what concerns Romania’s distinctive artistic values. In the 19th century, when Bessarabia was ceded to Imperial Russia, the Romanian identity suffered a devastated social, cultural, religious and spiritual transformation. The Union with Romania in 1918 initiated the reconstruction and consolidation of a fragile culture. The musical education during the Greater Romania and in the 21st century reestablished the trust in Bessarabia’s consciousness and the cultural values. Each portrait includes details regarding music education, mentions of shows, concerts, recitals, significant photos and artistic evidence that marked the modern and contemporary history of Bessarabia and the rest of the countries that hosted or enjoy the presence of the already mentioned musicians.