Abstract
The shocks of modernity in German-speaking lands during the second half of the nineteenth century originated what Marion Deshmukh has coined as an ‘ambivalent modernism’ in society and the arts: an acceptance of certain aspects and values of modernity together with a reaction against others deemed as incompatible with a genuinely German spirit. How did musical interpretation reflect this ambivalence? In the Germanic imaginary at the turn of the twentieth century, the glorification of craftsmanship was one of various axes on which the struggle against the ills of modernization rested. By incorporating traditional artisanal techniques and values in otherwise avowedly modernist aesthetics, some artists staged a resistance against the massification of industrialized production, in which the quality of dedicated individual work was lost with the mechanization of tasks. In this paper, we shall explore in which ways the thought of various Germanically- trained pianists born around the last two decades of the nineteenth century can be framed in a context of ambivalent modernism, specifically in what concerns the value of craftsmanship in their discourse and performance aesthetics. By relying on Richard Sennett’s conceptualization of craftsmanship, and drawing from writings and critical editions made by various performers, we propose an outline of this aspect of interpretive thought as it appeared among that early- modernist generation. Our study shows that the idea of craftsmanship presented itself in complex forms. Within a prevalent aesthetic paradigm of absolute music, ‘craft’ was often associated with the purely physical – therefore inartistic and insufficient –aspects of playing. The appreciation of craftsmanship can, however, be read chiefly as a rejection of formulaic and systematic interpretive solutions, emphasizing the need for individuation and the value of heterogeneity. A critical and dynamic engagement with the specific musical material at each moment was promoted, with important repercussions in the relationship with the notation.
Original language | English |
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Pages | 23 |
Number of pages | 1 |
Publication status | Published - 10 Nov 2023 |
Event | Musical Interpretation and Performance from the 19th to the 21st Century - Sala Pietro Antonio Locatelli, Bergamo, Italy Duration: 10 Nov 2023 → 12 Nov 2023 https://www.luigiboccherini.org/2022/12/01/musical-interpretation-and-performance-from-the-xixth-to-the-xxist-century/#flipbook-df_24824/1/ |
Conference
Conference | Musical Interpretation and Performance from the 19th to the 21st Century |
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Country/Territory | Italy |
City | Bergamo |
Period | 10/11/23 → 12/11/23 |
Internet address |
Keywords
- Craftsmanship
- Performance Practice
- Modernism
- Piano
- Early 20th Century