Music Theory

The projects in the research field of “music theory” focus on questions of historically informed music theory and participate in the international research discourse within the discipline.

The focus is on the period of the late 18th and 19th centuries, and methodological and didactic aspects play a central role. By examining questions of the institutionalisation and development of music theory subjects within the 19th century, references to the current role and function of the subject are revealed. The results can be applied to current teaching practice and open up general questions of music education. By analysing documentary sources from different European countries, topics of cultural transfer are addressed. Existing national differences in music theory are relativised through such an orientation towards historical models.

Core competences

  • Recording and categorising historical teaching traditions
  • Methods and techniques of musical analysis in notation and sound
  • Researching and analysing historical sources on music theory
  • Historical stylistic competence in harmony, tonality, form and melody formation
  • Research into improvisational playing practices by combining academic and artistic research approaches
  • Development of contemporary, historically informed mediation concepts

Ongoing projects

Ein Verzeichnis der Werke Luigi Cherubinis

The Institute Interpretation at the HKB is responsible for coordinating the technical realisation of the catalogue of works by Luigi Cherubini and for editing the section on Cherubini’s pedagogical and theoretical works.

Luigi Cherubini und die Kompositionslehre am Pariser Conservatoire

In today’s music education programs, composition lessons make little reference to subjects such as harmony or aural training. This was different in the time of Luigi Cherubini (1760–1842), a respected teacher and later director of the Conservatoire in Paris. The project examines Cherubini’s music theory works, the comprehensive compositional training practice at the Conservatoire and the improvisation and composition lessons for piano students in Paris (ca. 1810–1840).

Contact us

Feel free to get in touch with us! We will be happy to inform you about other projects in this research field and answer any questions you might have.

Bern Academy of the Arts HKB
Research
Institute Interpretation
Operational assistance: Reto Witschi
Fellerstrasse 11
CH-3027 Bern