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Does the GDR 1 Have its Own Electroacoustic Sound?

2011; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 30; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/07494467.2011.624268

1477-2256

Tatjana Böhme-Mehner,

Literature and Cultural Memory

Abstract Taking as a point of departure the provocative question as to whether it is possible to talk about an electroacoustic sound of the GDR, this article intends to show a context from which it is possible, and of interest, to discuss in a socio-historical way the electroacoustic scene that became established in the GDR. The role of East and West German radio in this development is demonstrated as an initial factor, alongside technical and technological progress in general. The influence of politics is taken into account, in relation to the function of other social factors. Finally a model is presented, describing the history of electroacoustic music in the GDR as consisting of three phases. Keywords: Electroacoustic MusicGDREast German Music SystemEast German CultureRadio Notes GDR stands for the German Democratic Republic, or DDR (Deutsche Demokratische Republik) which was the German state established in 1949 in the area of Germany occupied by Soviet Russia. General reflections on the background of the New Music scene of the GDR and the music system of the state as well on important aspects of its cultural justification can be found in: Berg, Holtsträter and Massow, 2007; Berg, Massow and Noeske, 2004; Blumröder, 2009; Mühl-Benninghaus, 1999; Kurth and Löwis 1988; Nauck, 2009; Tischer, 2005b. Colloquial term for the Trabant cars produced by the former East German manufacturer VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau, in Zwickau, Saxony. Jean-Paul Sartre, Preface for René Leibowitz, L'artiste et sa conscience (Paris, 1950). See also Berg, Holtsträter & Massow, 2007 Berg, M., Holtsträter, K. and von Massow, A. 2007. Die unerträgliche Leichtigkeit der Kunst. Ästhetisches und politisches Handeln in der DDR [The Unbearable Lightness of Arts. Aesthetic and political action in the GDR], Wien, Köln & Weimar: Böhlau. [Google Scholar]. See also Noeske, 2007 Noeske, N. 2007. Musikalische Dekonstruktion. Neue Instrumentalmusik in der DDR [Musical Deconstruction. New instrumental music in the GDR], Köln, Wien & Weimar: Böhlau. [Google Scholar]. The so-called Formalismusstreit (formism debate) had the greatest impact on the cultural-theoretical discourse in the GDR in the 1950s. The so-called Formalismus-Verdikt (formism verdict) was officially imposed from the cultural-political side, in order to distinguish the GDR from the western cultural scene, which was classified as 'decadent'. The formism debate brings the relationship between content and form within a work of art to the centre and accuses formalistic art—in which the form dominates the content—of decadence and elitism. See Schubbe, 1972 Schubbe, E. 1972. Dokumente zur Kunst, Literatur und Kulturpolitik der SED [Documents on Art, Literature and Cultural Politics of the SED], Stuttgart: Seewald Verlag. [Google Scholar]. See, for example, a historical overview on the political transition in the GDR, in Kowalczuk, 2009 Kowalczuk, I.-S. 2009. Endspiel. Die Revolution von 1989 in der DDR [Final. The Revolution of 1989 in the GDR], München: C.H. Beck. [Google Scholar]. For more information on the GDR system, see Weber, 2006 Weber, H. 2006. Die DDR 1949–1990, [The GDR 1949–1990], 4th ed , München: Oldenbourg. [Google Scholar]. The Verband Deutscher Komponisten und Musikwissenschaftler, later the Verband der Komponisten und Musikwissenschaftler der DDR, was founded in 1951. The association functioned as a professional organization, meaning that it had a say in many government committees. International relations were often regulated by the association itself in the form of exchange programmes with diverse partner associations. The association hosted symposia and festivals and formulated directives for its members. The central responsibilities of the association included the 'provision' of 'freelance artists'. The Pioneer organization (similar to the American Boy Scouts) was an attempt by the SED to organize the East German youth according to communist principles. In principle, all children in the first to seventh grades were obliged to join the Pioneer organization. The select few who did not choose to do so often faced problems—if nothing else, regarding their scholastic future. The Pioneer organization functioned as a cadre forger and preached the SED doctrine to the youth. However, it also organized (occasionally politically neutral) leisure activities. See also Herbst et al., 1994 Herbst, A., Ranke, A. & Winkler, J. 1994. So funktionierte die DDR. Lexikon der Organisationen und Institutionen [That was as the GDR functioned. Lexicon of organizations and institutions], Reinbek: Rowohlt. [Google Scholar]. The SED (Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands [socialist unity party of Germany]) began as a forced merger of the KPD (Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands [communist party of Germany]) and the SPD (Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands [social democratic party of Germany]) in 1946 and held power as the 'labourers' party' in the GDR, which defined itself as a nation of labourers and farmers. For more information on problems related to the county structure and the music business, see also Stöck, 2008 Stöck, G. 2008. Neue Musik in den Bezirken Halle und Magdeburg zur Zeit der DDR: Kompositionen, Politik, Institutionen [New Music in the districts of Halle and Magdeburg in the era of the GDR: Compositions, Politics, Institutions], Leipzig: Schröder. [Google Scholar]. It does not seem appropriate in this context to discuss in detail the diverse programme reforms and structural changes, which were often a result of very diverse adjustments in the administrative sector or which stemmed from changes in the fundamental politics regarding international relations. These topics are in most cases only loosely related to the focus of this manuscript. Programme adjustments were also a result of more organizational or personnel-related changes. The expressions E-music and U-music denoted ernste (E-)—serious music, and unterhaltende (U-)—entertainment or light music. In general, the majority of GDR citizens were well informed about the positions held in the West thanks to western media. With the exception of a few regions, information from western public broadcasting was freely available. Access to such media was perhaps never allowed officially. However, with time it was tolerated. This knowledge was taken advantage of during the cold war (from the western side). See Böhme-Mehner, 2009 Böhme-Mehner, T. 2009. "On the Sense and Non-Sense of Talking about 'Heritage' in the Study of Electroacoustic Music". http://www.ems-network.org/ems09/papers/mehner.pdf [Google Scholar]. See Tischer, 2005a Tischer, M. 2005a. "Musik aus einem verschwundenen Staat [Music from an extinct state]". In Musik in der DDR [Music in the GDR. Essays on the situation of music from an extinct state], Edited by: Tischer, M. 1–11. Berlin: Ernst Kuhn. [Google Scholar], p. 10.