Browse Exhibits (1 total)

This exhibit explores the connections between music and a plurality of identities in fin de siècle Vienna. The exhibit was designed for “Topics in German Art: Vienna 1900”, taught by Professors Christiane Hertel and Imke Meyer as part of the interdisciplinary 360-degree program. This exhibit seeks to present an examination of the impact identity has on prominent figures in turn of the century Vienna’s music scene. When looking at music during fin de siècle Vienna, identity presents itself as a very important factor in shaping musical culture. How well a piece or performance is received is not based solely on any individual’s talent. National identity, race, and gender all play important roles in shaping the way music is conceived in Vienna at this time, particularly in the way members of certain groups of people  are conceived in popular stereotypical thinking, and the way that is abstracted to a person’s musical abilities. This exhibit will explore the works and lives of Johann Strauss, Gustav Mahler, Alma Mahler, various well-known opera singers, Arnold Schönberg, Bedrich Smetana, Antonin Dvorak, Bela Bartok, and briefly, Mozart’s lasting impact on Vienna.