Musicology Week 1- Lecture 1

Musicology: Branch of knowledge that deals with music as a

subject of study rather than as a skill or performing art;
academic research in or scholarly study of music. More
generally: writing about music; musicography.
-Often equated with the German Musikwissenschaft (term first
used in 1827, marks a shift in study of music, it finally
constitutes a discipline in its own right) which means science
of music inc. theory.
Narrating Music History:
What forms a great composer? (Jeremy Nicholas)

Famous in own lifetime

Continuing rep after death
Music published
Music is cutting edge i.e forward thinking, innovative.
Well-educated

BACH PARADOX - > Self taught not supreme creative

genius (Nicholas) (s.c.g)
>Not considered special in his day
>Not much published
>Not really performed after death
>Old-fashioned music (J.C Bach notes this in letters according
to Nicholas)
>Didnt invent any new forms
>Not widely read or sophisticated; he only knew theology and
music
BUT BACH (Characteristics of an C18th composer):
>Wasnt famous, it was a respected, family trade, nothing
more, but considered a skilled job and would write for patrons

>Not related to esteem at the time, as they were often only

souvenirs of performance, e.g cantata 71, but mostly for
amateur use in the home.
>Bach was writing to order, hence no new styles, also creative
principles of composition at the time were based on imitation
and emulation of existing music.
WHY

THE PARADOX?

Nicholas characteristics are unsuitable to Bachs time, they are

based on the image of the romantic composer (s.c.g etc), and
Nicholas book reflects C19th approaches to musicology (when
it was first mainly developed), as he assumes figure of the
composer has been largely constant, s.c.g, depicts music
history through certain individuals (50 Great composers) i.e
suggesting a canon of composers most influential to
development of Western Music.
3 Problems of music history:
1. Historical evidence still has to be INTERPRETED.
Subjective!
Carl Dalhaus Every document is a
lie
2. Evidence that survives may not sum up whole picture;
historians can fill in the gaps in anachronistic ways
3. Data thats included and excluded by each historian
influences interpretation
Many problems identified with traditional method of music
history i.e fixed canon of composers. New approach developed
to redress balance in favour of groups and traditions that have
been left out of traditional histories, and to find ways of
approaching music that is more suited to these trad. methods.
REFLECTION

CRISIS

NEW APPROACH

Different approaches:

Life and works Composers and their music

History of Genre
Musical style
Musical centres (cities etc)
Music technology (e.g instruments)
Performance practices
Responses to music (reception)
Social, Cultural and political history of music-making
Economic and commercial history

Some of these approaches have been used since earliest music

histories, others new. Only in last 40 years have musicologists
systematically reflected on impact approaches to writing about
musics past has on the way we understand music history!