Sounding Heritage
The repertoire of an orchestra such as philharmonie zuidnederland has been fairly consistent for a long time. Many works, especially the 'great' symphonies, have become a natural part of the concert programmes. Can you imagine a concert life without the music of Mozart, Beethoven, Berlioz, Brahms, Dvořák, Bruckner, Mahler and Tchaikovsky?
Of course, newer works are also regularly given their place in concert performances. That is part of the artistic task of an orchestra. These are new pieces related to the known pieces. In classical music, you might say, we focus on the traditional. But why is a large part of the symphonic repertoire so unchanging? That is the question I am asking in my PhD research.
The canon is more than a loose collection of pieces of music. The permanence of this classical canon is the result of countless musical activities in smaller ensembles and orchestras, but also in conservatories and other music institutions. The symphonic repertoire is deeply embedded in the daily work of musicians, conductors, programmers, teachers, marketing experts, orchestra ushers and many others. They are, as it were, the guardians of this 'sounding heritage'!
Take, for example, the program booklet that you receive at the entrance of the concert hall. Program booklets are fascinating objects of research when it comes to canon formation.
They are not only interesting from a music-theoretical or historical perspective, but also from a practical point of view. By analyzing the program booklets of one orchestra over a longer period, it becomes clear how the tradition is shaped by sometimes very trivial circumstances. At the London Symphony Orchestra, for example, there is no money to keep writing new texts and old texts are constantly reprinted. This leads to a consolidation of our knowledge about a musical work, but also contributes to how we listen to the music. This significantly influences our expectations of an execution.
The challenge of my research is to understand how all these interrelated practices help preserve the symphonic canon. In light of the debate on innovation in classical music, we must first understand the role of tradition in our daily musical life. Understanding the practical work required to preserve the symphonic heritage can help us find new approaches to this heritage, which do justice not only to our tradition, but also to the everyday tasks of those who care for it pass on carefully.
Denise Petzold
PhD researcher at MCICM
This article was first published in Dutch in deKlank from philharmonie zuidnederland.
