著者

三島 郁

出版者

甲南女子大学

雑誌

甲南女子大学研究紀要. 文学・文化編 (ISSN:1347121X)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.41, pp.53-63, 2005-03-18

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In the eighteenth century in Germany, the center of society moved from the aristocracy to the middle class, who came to be owners of property and wanted to be musically cultivated. Leipzig, a merchant city, was not a court city like Berlin or Dresden, but it had a textile industry, a university and publishing business, and the famous Thomaskirche. An international trade fair was held twice a year, and there were many foreign visitors to the city. So they had a base for receiving new music culture. The most characteristic feature was the choir. They founded many choral societies for four voices or male voices, where they devoted themselves to singing songs. At first their interest was in religious music or early music repertories, but gradually shifted to pieces by contemporary composers or by their own members, and they were satisfied with just participating in a Gesangverein (choral society). This change in their quality and taste is thought to be closely related to the multi-layered middle-class society.