Das Bild zeigt Hände, die auf einem Notenblatt etwas schreiben.
Photo: Maik Schuck

Weimar Conference for Music Theory

Lectures, workshops, discussions and a concert on "Ways to invent music"

"In the style of ..." is the overall theme of the "Weimar Conference for Music Theory" on Friday, February 24 and Saturday, February 25 in the Festsaal Fürstenhaus (ATTENTION: moved here at short notice) of the University of Music FRANZ LISZT Weimar. The subtitle of the conference, "Ways to invent music", means analyzing and listening: The Central German conferences, which rotate between Weimar, Halle and Leipzig, have always tried to bring these disciplines together.

After Halle (2020) and Leipzig (2022), the music theory conference has now returned to Weimar, organized by Prof. Jörn Arnecke

An intensive exchange is planned, also on a European level: Three guests from the University Mozarteum Salzburg are expected. Composers and their works as stylistic models are in the focus of the conference, another one goes into the implementation: How can style copies be taught and actively designed? And what are examples of successful sound creations "in the style of" - for example, in the further composition of fragments?

We can also look forward to the report on the experiences of Siemens Prize winner Prof. Dr. Peter Gülke, who will describe his approach to Franz Schubert's Symphonic Fragments. 

Stylistic copies play a major role in music theory education - but the very word is worthy of discussion. Can a copy have artistic value? And doesn't copying contradict the claim of music theory to be an artistic subject?

That this approach has didactic potential and is suitable for motivating students should be undisputed - but shouldn't we then rather speak of "style-related composing"? And what points of departure do such concepts offer for creative teaching in schools and music schools?

As partners for this conference, the Center for Music Theory of the University of Music FRANZ LISZT Weimar, the Department of Composition / Tonsatz of the University of Music and Theatre "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" Leipzig and the Institute of Music of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg join forces again with the Society for Music Theory (GMTH).

Registration for the conference at lydia.muehlhause(at)hfm-weimar.de   

More information on the conference program at: https://www.hfm-weimar.de/en/visitors/research/conferences-congresses

[20 January 2023]