All European societies had to respond to the major political upheavals, wars and crises of the 20th century, with some parallels and differences coming to light. In changing political systems – during the Nazi terror as well as under state socialism – musicians, composers and audiences either sought to maintain their autonomy or opened up to political agitation.
The workshop aims to explore how aspects of autonomy and agitation are reflected in the practice of composition and music making. To this end, a comparative approach is taken by examining different repertoire from before, during and after World War II.