Scientific conference «Russian musician in western musicology of the twentieth century: Jacques Gandshin. To the 130th anniversary of the organist and scholar»

Autumn-spring 2015-2016 period has been noted by scientists and linguists of the world as the «Jacques Handschin commemoration”. Jacques Handschin (1886-1955) was one of the largest and most original thinkers of the twentieth century, among representatives in academical musicology. In the fall of 2015 has marked the 60th anniversary of the scientist death, and in April 2016 is approaching the 130th anniversary of his birth. The impact of the ideas of this Russian-Swiss scholar on the science are undeniable up to nowadays but were especially noticeable in the last few years, when traditional notions of national schools and their interaction began to shift.

In connection with these two dates, Russian Institute for Art History has been opened a project named “Jacques Handschin and the XXI century musicology” [2015].  It includes a number of activities: two scientific conferences, concerts, as well as the subsequent publication of a book that brings together the materials of both scientific meetings, presenting some of the latest trends in the modern academic musicology.

The first conference – to the 60th anniversary of the death of the scientist – was held at the Insitute at 23-24 November 2015: https://artcenter.ru/mezhdunarodnaya-nauchno-prakticheskaya-konferenciya-zhak-gandshin-i-muzykovedenie-xxi-veka/

At the 11-12th of April 2016, Institute holds a second “Handschin” conference, dedicated to the 130th anniversary of the birth of the scientist. The meetings would be attended by researchers from Russia, Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands. Like the first project activity, the conference will be held with the support of the Consulate General of Switzerland in St. Petersburg and the Swiss Foundation «Pro Helvetia».

Those activities are also the part of another project named “Organ conferences in Russian Institute for Art History”, among which should expect following events: a lecture (White Hall of the Russian Institute for Art History), a recital (Chapel of the Tauride Palace) and master classes (in Finnish Kirk of St. Mary) of the famous Swiss organist Guy Bovet.

Program

April 11 (Monday)

11.00 – opening of the conference.

N. Semenov (St. Petersburg) – Jacques Gandshin reflections on the organ and its history (on the basis of Articles 1920 and 1940).

O.A. Bobryk (Moscow). – Jacques Gandshin and Arthur Lourie.

T. Shipperges (Tubingen) – Jacques Gandshin and Heinrich Besseler сorrespondence as a source for the history of a scientific discipline.

13.45-14.00: Coffee Break

G. Kovalevsky (St. Petersburg). – Mussorgsky in Gandshin concept.

G.V. Petrova (St. Petersburg) – Berlioz in Gandshin reception: yet another “Gallic motive.”

F.M. Mayer (Berlin) – Jacques Gandshin and encyclopaedia Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart

16.15 – 17.00: Break  (will be ready to 15.00)

T. Noll (Barcelona) – The character of the sound (Toncharakter) and the actual diapason. Essay to the 130th anniversary of the birth of Jacques Gandshina.

J. B. Knyazeva (St. Petersburg) – One Leo Schrade letter to Jacques Gandshin.

April 12 (Tuesday)

Lectures:

11.00 Guy Bovet (Neuchatel). – Swiss Organs and the art of Organ Performance.

12.00 Martin Kirnbauer (Basel) – About Basel renovation project of Nicolas Vicentino organ and harpsichord .

13.00. E.V. Gertsman (SPb.). – Organ in Byzantium.

Final discussion

19.00- Recital Guy Bovet in Chapel Organ Tauride Palace (Shpalernaya str., 47). The program includes  A. Vivaldi, J.S. Bach, G. Bove as well as the old organ music of Switzerland and Spain.

April 13 (Wednesday)

11.00- The master class of Professor Guy Bovet in the Finnish Lutheran Church of St. Mary (Bolshaya Konyushennaya str., 8)

14.00 – Excursion to Hermitage: Great Mechanical Orchestra (orchestrion) of Georg Strasser (1801).