Musicians' Mobilities and Music Migrations in Early Modern Europe

... with Gesa zur Nieden und Berthold Over

1. Why a book on this subject?

Music migrations in Early Modern Times can tell us a lot on cultural, social and political patterns of mobility in general. Since national boundaries were not yet established in the 17^th and 18^th centuries the displacement, transfer and trans-regional reception of music in Early Modern Europe challenge us to reflect on communicative mechanisms and conventions that were in permanent change. At the same time, the mobility and integration of European musicians reveal the power of cultural categorizations that are in constant tension with aesthetic possibilities of music.

2. What relevance does this subject have in the current research debates?

The book connects music history to the current mobility studies and so reverberates the actual mobility turn in the humanities. On this basis, traditional categories of style, politics and sociability can be reviewed and concepts of music transfer can be enlarged. At the same time, the balance of aesthetic, political and social intentions is questioned as is the role of geographical and social mobility for the production and reception of music. For these perspectives the collaboration between Western European and Eastern European scholars is most relevant - geographically and methodologically.

3. What new perspectives does your book open up?

The book opens up a view on the contemporary existence of hybrid and categorized communications in music and between musicians and their patrons, disciples, editors and colleagues. By taking into consideration not only the great figures of music history but also the many unknown musicians and their manifold contacts, the book reveals the great variety of mobilities and working options of Early Modern musicians in Europe and their professional as well as social intentions.

4. Who would you preferably like to discuss your book with?

With scholars concerned with global musicians' mobilities as well as with scholars of Early Modern literature and arts or cultural historical topics. A comparison to other professional groups might detail overall migration patterns and biographical models that were typical for Early Modern Europe.

5. Your book in only one sentence:

Early Modern music migrations and musicians' mobilities shed light on the infinitive aesthetic possibilities of 17^th and 18^th century cultural life between political representing, sedentariness and the dissemination and professionalization of music.