Übersetzungen von Musik

Wie musikalische Phänomene zu wissenschaftlichen Objekten werden

Abstract

Situated in the field of history of science, this article traces the transformation of a work song of the WaNyamwezi, an ethnic group rooted in the former colony of German East Africa, from its recording in the field to its evaluation in the archive. This transformation enables the chant to circulate among different scientific disciplines such as comparative musicology, cultural anthropology, and national economics. These disciplines differ in their approach to culture, and focus either on data collection in the field or data analysis in the archive. Nevertheless, I argue that their study of music constitutes an orientation towards empirical methodology. To demonstrate this, I will rely on a praxeological approach, which allows the data analyzed in the archive to be reconnected with its collection in the field.