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Book Review
Nov. 3rd, 2016 11:02 pmBach in Berlin: Nation and Culture in Mendelssohns Revival of the St. Matthew Passion
by Celia Applegate
In this very interesting book, Applegate looks at Mendelssohn's 1829 performance of Bach's St Matthew Passion and how it intersected with the 19th century development of German national culture and national consciousness. It's packed with insights about the cultural milieu in which this performance occurred and the cultural factors that made is such a landmark event in music history. I especially appreciated the way Applegate wove together so many different threads of 19th century German social, political, and musical life to explore the performance's roots and impact. I was a little afraid that it would fall prey to dry and impenetrable academic prose, but Applegate's writing is clear and enjoyable to read, even when she is discussing dense scholarly subjects like the rise in primacy of print culture.
by Celia Applegate
In this very interesting book, Applegate looks at Mendelssohn's 1829 performance of Bach's St Matthew Passion and how it intersected with the 19th century development of German national culture and national consciousness. It's packed with insights about the cultural milieu in which this performance occurred and the cultural factors that made is such a landmark event in music history. I especially appreciated the way Applegate wove together so many different threads of 19th century German social, political, and musical life to explore the performance's roots and impact. I was a little afraid that it would fall prey to dry and impenetrable academic prose, but Applegate's writing is clear and enjoyable to read, even when she is discussing dense scholarly subjects like the rise in primacy of print culture.
