Heiner Goebbels and Curatorial Composing after Cage: From Staging Works to Musicalising Encounters

This Element introduces the notion of curatorial composing to account for certain musical practices that emerged as the founding concepts of music as an art – instituted in the modern era – were systematically dismantled. It argues that these practices shift the paradigm to a curatorial concern for composing public encounters and staging events.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 75 pages
Publication date: 24 November 2022
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

The Element introduces the concept of curatorial composing to account for certain musical practices that emerged from the 1960s as the founding concepts of music as an art, instituted in the modern era, were systematically dismantled. It raises the critical question of how musical value and authority can be produced without recourse to an external principle, origin, transcendental framework, or other foundation. It argues that these practices do not dismiss the issue of value or simply relativize it but shift the paradigm to a curatorial concern for composing public encounters and staging events. The Element demonstrates that Lydia Goehr's elaboration of the work-concept provides a framework that John Cage transformed in his work from 0 00" (1962) onwards. The Element then introduces Heiner Goebbels' practice and focus on his role as Artistic Director of the Ruhrtriennale (2012–14), which it argues was an extension of his curatorial composing.

The Element introduces the concept of curatorial composing to account for certain musical practices that emerged from the 1960s as the founding concepts of music as an art, instituted in the modern era, were systematically dismantled. It raises the critical question of how musical value and authority can be produced without recourse to an external principle, origin, transcendental framework, or other foundation. It argues that these practices do not dismiss the issue of value or simply relativize it but shift the paradigm to a curatorial concern for composing public encounters and staging events. The Element demonstrates that Lydia Goehr's elaboration of the work-concept provides a framework that John Cage transformed in his work from 0 00" (1962) onwards. The Element then introduces Heiner Goebbels' practice and focus on his role as Artistic Director of the Ruhrtriennale (2012–14), which it argues was an extension of his curatorial composing.

Weight: 90g
Dimension: 152 x 228 x 11 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781009337601