M. Seifert, Functionality and aesthetic: On the structural principles of traditional folk music and their transformation in the Bavarian 'cultivation' movement, WORLD MUSIC, 41(2), 1999, pp. 13-39
Today in Bavaria, what is understood to be "traditional folk music" no long
er has much in common with the popular music-making practices that prevaile
d among large segments of the population until the beginning of the 20th ce
ntury. Since that time, earlier music-making styles have fallen to a large
extent under the influence of the "cultivation" movement (Pflege). The curr
ent strict orientation toward Kunstmusik (art music) in folk music practice
can be traced to the influence of this movement. In addition, the general
social conditions of amateur music-making have been completely transformed.
Examination of earlier times reveals a quite different logic of musical pe
rformance practice, which was consistently expressed in the repertoire, in
the production of music and in the own forms of transmission. Using a broad
cultural-sociological approach, this article investigates these difference
s by describing popular music practice mainly in the 18th and 19th centurie
s, with the intention of confronting Volksmusikpflege practices in the 20th
century.