Brauchen wir eine Ökomusikwissenschaft?

Abstract

While ecomusicology is clearly a growth area in musicology, its mission and purview are not entirely clear. This article explores the complex relationship between ecology and musicology: ecocriticism in literary and visual fields may have an easier time capitalizing on current concerns about the environment by tapping into an "apocalyptic" mode, but musical ecocriticism can counter by foregrounding a "nostalgic" mode to raise awareness. The article argues that the study of "soundscapes" is a natural ally for a musicology no longer predominantly focused on the musical work, as a brief exploration of J. G. Kastner's Les Voix de Paris (1857) demonstrates.