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Inaugural lecture

Playing old music & Studying music, studying people

Prof David Rowland, Prof Martin Clayton
This event took place on 26th January 2009
Berrill Lecture Theatre, The Open University, Walton Hall Campus, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
3.30pm Tea/Coffee on Berrill Foyer.

4pm Opening Address by the Vice Chancellor.

4.15pm First lecture by Professor David Rowland.
Playing old music

In recent decades the ‘early music movement’ has debated at length the merits of playing the music of previous generations on period instruments and in historically informed styles. While in many respects that debate can be considered a modern phenomenon the questions that are addressed were being asked at least 200 years ago. So how did Mozart, or Liszt, play Bach’s music? Did they have a sense of ‘historical style’, or did they consider themselves at liberty to use the full resources of modern instruments when they played the music of earlier generations? The lecture will include a practical demonstration of the issues.

5pm Second lecture by Professor Martin Clayton
Studying music, studying people.

Music has had an important role to play in all human societies and all historical periods. Understanding music, then, ought to be vitally important to understanding humankind. Professor Clayton will discuss the fundamentally interdisciplinary nature of musical enquiry, and argue for the relevance of musical perspectives in a wide range of disciplines in the humanities, social and human sciences. The lecture will be illustrated with examples from his own research, much of which concerns Indian music, and focuses on issues of temporality, interaction and meaning.

5.45 Closing comments by Professor Trevor Herbert followed by extended Reception in Berrill Café

Click below to play the event (97 minutes)