MUSICOLOGY

[Bonn1827]

One thing which consistently annoys me: Musicologists being referred to as "Historians". This occurred recently in both films, "In Search of Mozart" and "In Search of Beethoven". A Musicologist is a Musical Scholar, and there's a difference between that and a "Historian". Musicologists need to know the arcane language of music and many have more than two languages as well. They must not only be able to read documents but often be able, for example, to "transpose" early music manuscipts into modern notation. I studied Shenkerian analysis briefly in my studies of Musicology and I doubt any Historian has had to acquire these skills to practice in his/her field. So, it is objectionable to define a discipline by ONE of its skills, i.e. the ability to research the past and study documents in the field of enquiry. It is too limiting a description of the work of a Musicologist and I don't know why people are getting away with it. Somebody in a thread recently described the late, great Robbie Landon as a "Historian" - incorrect. What Historian could do an in-depth analysis of a Haydn symphony to discover its organic properties and influences? ENOUGH!!!

[Bonn1827]

Yes, Phillip, I realized about the wrong spelling as soon as I'd logged off!! Don't be too pedantic, old boy!! Yes, his Theory may well be discredited now, but I do remember thinking it was dodgey anyway when I studied it in 1991!! And Bartok's "Golden Mean" in some of his work? Equally dodgey, but nevertheless a basis for musicological study as it was then.

Point taken about the Americans, but I still think a general term of Music Historian isn't accurate or adequate, despite which you think about maths and so on. I haven't heard of any mathematical historians anyway - just Mathematicians. One of my Musicology lecturers (who had 3 languages) was going on a study trip to Italy to transcribe one of the masses from an obscure manuscript, from the 12th century or similar, into modern notation. He wasn't just examining the manuscript and tracing it's history. He was actively involved in a form of "composition", if you will. So, I still think Music Historian is inadequate. Guess we'll have to disagree.

[Chris]

I just play all the notes out of tune so none of them stick out.

[Bonn1827]

Phillip, the Pedant. Yes, we can concur, agree, accord, verify, etc. about Music Historians then! I just wondered why the Americans said "Historian" (not Music Historian as is bandied around on these pages - yes, I can be a pedant) when they have JAMS - Journal of the American Musicological Society if they are, in fact, Music Historians?

Regarding out of tune music - try Bernstein's "One Note Rag" sung by Mandy Pitinkin (spelling may be wrong as I don't have the CD in front of me). Entschuldigen sie bitte.