Frederic Luftensteiner
Abstract
Genre discourses are defining elements of musical practice and performance practice. The aim of this doctoral thesis is to identify and analyse the processes of construction within the discourse surrounding the ‘folk music’ genre and associated revitalisation movements. The research is based on Eric J. Hobsbawm’s concept of ‘invented traditions’. Such ‘constructions of tradition’ constitute an essential factor in identity and self-presentation. Data for the analysis is drawn from ethnographic interviews with musicians and online discourses. Initial data collection has shown that references to the musical past are a central feature of folk discourse. References to musical role models or formative events in national or regional history reflect a turn towards historical instruments within a discourse on authenticity. Therefore, this aspect will also be explored at the level of material artefacts, and instrument makers will be interviewed for this purpose.
