Music and German National Identity

Is it merely a coincidence that three Bs of classical music - Bach, Beethoven, Brahms - are all German composers? Why do concert halls all over world feature mostly works of German and Austrian composers as their standard repertoire? Over past three centuries, supporters of German music ranging from music scholars to politicians have nurtured notion that German-speaking world possesses a peculiar strength in cultivation of music. This book explores questions of how music came to be associated with German identity, when and how Germans came to be regarded as people of and how music came to be designated as the most German art. Drawing on expertise of leading scholars in German history, musicology, and German literature, essays assembled here examine philosophy, literature, politics, and social currents, as well as creation and performance of folk music, art music, church music, jazz, and pop to explore ways in which music has continued to play a central role in German national imagination and in shaping German identity.