Edinburgh German Yearbook 13: Music in German Politics / Politics in German Music

English | ISBN: 1640140603 | 2021 | 198 pages | PDF | 1 MB
A particularly iconic image of German Reunification is that of Mstislav Rostropovich playing from J. S. Bach's cello suites in front of the Berlin Wall on November 11, 1989. Thirty years on, it is timely to reconsider the cross-fertilization of music and politics within the German-speaking context. Frequently employed as a motivational force, a propaganda tool, or even a weapon, music can imbue a sense of identity and belonging, triggering both comforting and disturbing memories. Playing a key role in the formation of and "Germanness," it serves ideological, nationalistic, and propagandistic purposes conveying political messages and swaying public opinion.