Schalten Sie ab! Neue Musik im Radio
Edited by Harry Vogt and Martina Seeber
232 pp., Pb.
When something unheard of comes on the radio, the reflex to switch off is widespread. New music is perceived by many as a disturbing noise. With the best will in the world, it cannot be listened to in passing, but demands undivided attention. It is all the more rewarding when you engage with it.
For almost 80 years now, public radio has been commissioning, performing, producing, broadcasting, commenting on, discussing and thus decisively promoting contemporary music. As a stimulus, source of inspiration and medium of discourse, radio is an important engine of modernity - and New Music is a reliable driving force.
But where does this commitment come from? This book sheds light on the intensive relationship between radio and New Music, which have developed in parallel since the start of broadcasting in the early 1920s. The essays examine the role of radio choirs and orchestras, focussing on the period after 1950. They provide insights into broadcasting rooms and sound archives. They take a closer look at economics, the cultural and compositional remit as well as production processes, editorial work and radio programmes.
To be published in June.
