Perceptions and Presentations of Historical Musical Instruments : A Study of the Stockholm Museum of Music History, 1899–1918

The aim of this study is to elucidate the reasons and means to preserve and use historical musical instruments in a museum context more than a century ago. Advocates for historical instruments held ideological positions that were either close to musical perspectives, e.g. aesthetical performances for the living musical life, or emanated from a stance more typical of a museum, including activities to demonstrate cultural evolution or preservation of cultural heritage. This study confirms the dichotomy, but also shows how it is challenged when the goals coincide. The plans for a museum of music history started after the Stockholm fair of Arts and Industry of 1897. A historical exhibition of theatre and music included historical instruments on loan from the Danish collector Carl Claudius, who imagined the idea of a museum of music history, which was officially founded in 1899. This thesis studies the museum’s emergence as a national institution until 1918, when the first director and co-founder of the museum Johannes Svanberg died. The thesis also analyses three historical concerts given by Musikhistoriska museet in Stockholm between 1900–1918 that clearly illustrate contemporary perceptions of historical musical instruments and can be seen as intersections between museum objectives and musical life. This study also develops a model for the analysis, covering all relevant aspects of the concerts. The main task has been to identify involved persons and their objectives, as well as their access to and knowledge of the historical instruments collected and used in the historical concerts. Three major objectives for the promoting of historical instruments have been identified: preservation (bevarande), education (bildning) and vitalisation (vitalisering). The thesis’ theoretical framework is based on elaborations of these concepts. Three immaterial aspects of what to preserve have been pointed out: sound, handicraft skills and memories of important persons. The sound-saving project can be seen as both preservation of the cultural heritage for later generations, and as an act to vitalise the contemporary musical life. Among the involved persons, several of them were artists of visual arts and their notion of the instruments as objects of artful handicraft is noteworthy. Even though the goal was to accomplish a highly modern museum, and not a curiosa cabinet, some celebrities’ instruments were collected. They were meant to evoke feelings of the country’s glorious past, as well as to capture the interest of a needed broader public. Educational objectives are in this thesis distinguished between 1) formal musical education (utbildning), aiming at musical skills for professional musicians, researchers and instrument makers; and 2) an optional and non-instrumental education (bildning) derived from the German concept of Bildung, The many musicians involved in the museum activities point at the aesthetical interest the historical instruments evoked, coinciding with objectives the French pioneers of historical instruments had. Notably many of the Swedish pioneers had experience of the French speaking Europe through studies or work in Paris or Brussels. Aims of vitalisation of musical life were prevalent. This thesis demonstrates that the pioneers’ collecting and use of historical instruments at the Musikhistoriska museet were more intentional and multifaceted than is generally understood