Translating Music #1
The Idea of a Musical Work and Its Transformations Before 1800
27th–28th March 2025
The Grażyna and Kiejstut Bacewicz University of Music
Łódź, Poland
The question regarding the idea of a musical work touches one of the most characteristic and interesting aspects of Western culture. The issue is essential to the understanding of how music had functioned in the periods before the concept of a musical work emerged, that is, before 1800. The Romantic concept of Werktreue, which sees a musical composition as a finished and complete work of art that shouldn’t be changed any further, seems hardly adequate for the music of earlier periods, as it has been shown in seminal studies of Lydia Goehr (The Imaginary Museum of Musical Works: an Essay in the Philosophy of Music) and Anna Maria Busse Berger (Medieval Music and the Art of Memory). This fact raises important questions about the identity of musical work and its different versions and transformations before the Age of Beethoven.
The aim of the conference, first of a planned series, is to observe how the idea of a musical work was changing in particular historical periods before 1800. The starting point for our considerations is the motto of “translating music”, which draws attention to different ways in which the music functioned, being transformed by composers, arrangers, publishers or musicians. The core of the current conference makes European repertoire from the Middle Ages to early Classicism. The symbolic date of the year 1800, appearing in the title, is related to the flourishing of Ludwig van Beethoven’s musical activity, and - at the same time - the appearance of the romantic idea of a work of art.
The conference is addressed to musicologists, music theorists, musicians involved in the historically informed performance of early music, as well as scholars conducting interdisciplinary research, especially in literature. The Program Committee kindly invites all the interested to send their submissions within the following areas in particular:
- The idea of a musical work before Beethoven – between music theory and compositional practice;
- „Singable translation” – translating libretti and song lyrics;
- One music – different meanings: significance of contrafactum;
- Instrumental arrangements and intabulations of vocal works;
- Musicology and Translation Studies – new perspectives of interdisciplinary research;
- Performance as a version of the work in contemporary HIP (improvised counterpoint, ornamentation, etc.);
- Social aspects of arranging and translating music.
Other topics are also most welcome.
The official language of the conference is English.
Scientific Board
- Tomasz Dobrzański | Ph.D., Cantores Minores Vratislavienses
- Paweł Gancarczyk | Professor, Polish Academy of Sciences
- Ryszard Daniel Golianek | Professor, The Adam Mickiewicz University Poznań
- Małgorzata Grajter | Assistant Professor, The Grażyna and Kiejstut Bacewicz University of Music
- Marek Nahajowski | Associate Professor, The Grażyna and Kiejstut Bacewicz University of Music
- Szymon Paczkowski | Professor, University of Warsaw
Application details
The papers must be limited in duration to twenty-five minutes. Abstracts of maximum 500 words and short biographies should be sent to:
The organizers do not cover travel expenses, accommodation or board. All the speakers selected for presentation of their papers, will receive all necessary information (including bank transfer details and list of suggested hotels and hostels) via e-mail.
Conference fee: 100 EUR
Call for Papers