Abstract
One of the most important trends in the research of musical culture of the Classical era is research of the concert life of that time period. Basing herself on authentic sources, the author of the article reconstructs the concert life in Vienna of the second half of the 18th century – the capital of an empire and one of the greatest musical centers in Europe. The meaning of the very term of “concert” is specified, and the diversity of indications of musical gatherings at that time is disclosed. The various forms of concert life are examined from the point of view of temporal and spatial factors, as well as the system of their organization. At that, it turns out that practically all the forms of music-making existed in the line of culture of leisure time activities, and particularly leisure time (which at that time enjoyed a special status) determined their specific nature. The sphere of leisure time was quite broad, the boundaries of leisure time activities were quite mobile, which found its reflection in the remarkable diversity of forms of musical gatherings, which likewise were not distinct for any strict boundaries. Musical leisure activities and forms of entertainment, essentially, comprised an important element of concert life, while the differentiation of music into two opposing spheres of existence (the serious, classical type vs. the vernacular, entertaining type) based on their characteristics of genre and all the more so according to their quality of music, simply did not exist at that time. Such an understanding of the cultural and historical context is perceived to be exclusively important for research of concert life at that time period and the ascertainment of its specificity. This makes it possible to look in new light at the types of concerts themselves, their musical repertoire and their classification. Keywords: Vienna in the second half of the 18th century, concert, musical gathering, academy, musical leisure, entertaining music.
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