A digital edition as performance-history database: modeling the ephemeral in the theater chronicles of Philipp Gumpenhuber (1758–1763)

The presentation explores strategies for modeling ephemeral performance events based on Philipp Gumpenhuber’s 18th-century theater chronicles. It focuses on the conceptual and technical challenges of representing incomplete, uncertain, and transient data—such as cancelled performances, substitutions, or undocumented participant roles—within a structured RDF-based knowledge graph. Special attention is given to the fluid and hybrid nature of music-theatrical “works” in the period, which defy modern notions of fixed compositions. Drawing on ontologies like CIDOC CRM, FRBRoo, and the Swiss Performing Arts (SPA) model, the talk demonstrates how historical traces of performances can be semantically enriched and aligned with interoperable standards.