Conversations on Musicology: The Concept of Traditional Music

On December 14, 2023, at 6:30 p.m., the event “Conversations on Musicology: The Concept of Traditional Music” will take place at the bar/bookshop “Bolderāja” (Avotu iela 29, Riga).

Earlier this spring, the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia (UL ILFA) launched the series “(Ethno)musicological Conversations” as a regular forum for discussing topics and events important to musicologists and those interested in music research. The third conversation in the series will be held on Thursday, December 14. For a more informal atmosphere, the meeting venue has been changed, and for a more inclusive approach, the series title has also been adjusted. This time, the topic of discussion is the concept of traditional music.

Recently, global ethnomusicology has seen growing criticism of the concept of traditional music. A notable recent development is the name change of the leading ethnomusicological organization, the International Council for Traditional Music, in the summer of 2023. In 1983, this name replaced the original International Folk Music Council, responding to criticism of the concept of folk music. This year, the organization was renamed the International Council for Traditions of Music and Dance. The change in name and related debates indicate that the time is ripe for a discussion of the contemporary meanings, advantages, and limitations of this concept.

The discussion will take place in a seminar format. Participants are invited to read and discuss the article by Austrian ethnomusicologist Ulrich Morgenstern, “In Defense of the Concept and Conception of Traditional Music” (2021), followed by an exchange of experiences regarding the use of the concept and the issues associated with it.

Image: an artificial intelligence–generated interpretation on the theme “Latvian musicologists at the bar ‘Bolderāja’ discussing the concept of traditional music.”