The Fourth International Conference
The Fourth International Conference of the IAGMR was the first in-person and open-topic conference of the Institute of Austrian and German Music Research. (The previous conference, held at Surrey University in May 2023 was a topical conference addressing the various relationships between music and conflict.)
Ordinarily based at the University of Surrey, the IAGMR travelled away from home to Durham University for this event. The two-day conference was split across three venues in Durham: Hatfield College hosted the majority of the parallel paper sessions, while the lecture recital was held in the Music Department Concert Hall, and the conference dinner took place in University (Castle) College.
The IAGMR prides itself on being an international institute, which seeks to understand the music of Austria and Germany in the broadest possible sense. The Fourth International Conference truly brought together scholars from around the world: Australia, Singapore, Turkey, North America, and many countries across Europe including Austria, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Norway, and the UK were all represented. The atmosphere was relatively small, inclusive, and very friendly, with approximately 30 delegates attending in Durham. The paper sessions, lecture recital, and keynote were live-streamed for remote delegates and some speakers who were unable to travel presented via Zoom.
Papers covered a wide array of topics pertaining to the study of Austrian and German music, ranging from the seventeenth century through to the present day. Günter Stummvoll (University for Continuing Education Krems) presented on late 17th century Austro-French cultural exchange systems, while Johann Pibert (Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf) presented on Contemporary German Pop Culture. A wide variety of papers investigated aspects of nineteenth- and twentieth-century Austrian and German musical culture from perspectives of cultural history, analysis, performance practice, and music criticism. Session titles included: Cultural Exchange, Opera Studies, Music and Politics, Transnationalism, Vienna and Beyond, Wagner, and Women in Music. Inja Stanović (University of Surrey) delivered a lecture recital on ‘Austro-German Revivals: (Re)constructing acoustic recordings’, which captured the attention of the entire conference; while Carola Darwin and Martyn Wilson brought to life a recently rediscovered Symphony by Johanna Müller-Hermann. Following the 200th anniversary of Anton Bruckner on 4 September 2024, Benjamin M. Korstvedt (Clarke University) delivered a fascinating keynote lecture entitled ‘Bruckner’s Doppelgangers: Characterisations in the Mirror World’, which provoked lively and continued discussions on the historical reconstruction and storytelling of Bruckner’s life. A further session on Bruckner took place to complement the keynote, featuring papers from Alexander Wilfing (Austrian Academy of Sciences), Angus Howie (Durham University) and Lóránt Péteri (Liszt Academy of Music, Budapest). A few of my personal favourites from the vast array of interesting subjects on offer include: Alexander Wilfing (Austrian Academy of Sciences) ‘“Whom I want to destroy, I will destroy!” Bruckner, Hanslick, and Musical Criticism in 19th-Century Vienna’; Mariana Da Silva Gabriel (University of California, Davis) ‘The Sound of War: The Role of Music in Nazi and Soviet Newsreels’; and Natasha Loges (Hochschule für Musik Freiburg) ‘Towards a Global “Winterreise”: Multiplying the 20th-Century Art-Song in Concert’.
On the evening of September 6, delegates met at the historic Undercroft Bar (situated in Durham castle) for pre-dinner drinks. This was well attended and the lively discussions that began earlier in the day continued into the night. The stunningly beautiful Norman castle (built in 1072) provided the perfect backdrop for the evening entertainment. Dinner was served in the Bishops Dining Hall, a grand yet intimate setting for our party of 26. Goats cheese and beetroot was followed by roast chicken. Mango cheesecake rounded off the dinner and the wine and conversation flowed freely. The evening concluded back in the Undercroft, where those who had chosen to organise their own dinner plans were able to re-join the group for a final drink before bed. Following the closing remarks on day two, many delegates united for celebratory drinks and dinner. Initial discussions were already underway for the next international event of the IAGMR…
I would like to express my personal gratitude to my fellow organisers for all of their help in co-ordinating the various demands of conference administration: Jeremy Barham (University of Surrey), Katherine Hambridge (Durham University), Philip Keller (Durham University), and Ardi Echevarria (Durham University). Individuals from Event Durham and the Durham University Music Department are also deserving of extensive thanks. Sponsorship from the Royal Musical Association and the Durham Centre for Academic Development enabled us to heavily subsidise registration costs for everyone so as to encourage participation from RMA members, international scholars, postgraduate students, and those without institutional support. For their financial support, I am extremely grateful.
Angus Howie is a doctoral candidate at Durham University and his research focusses on the symphonic reception of Brahms, Bruckner and Mahler in Vienna between 1911 and 1945.
Angus Howie (Durham University)