Functionality and aesthetic: On the structural principles of traditional folk music and their transformation in the Bavarian 'cultivation' movement

Today in Bavaria, what is understood to be "traditional folk music" no longer has much in common with the popular music-making practices that prevailed among large segments of the population until the beginning of the 20th century. Since that time, earlier music-making styles have fallen to a large extent under the influence of the "cultivation" movement (Pflege). The current strict orientation toward Kunstmusik (art music) in folk music practice can be traced to the influence of this movement. In addition, the general social conditions of amateur music-making have been completely transformed. Examination of earlier times reveals a quite different logic of musical performance practice, which was consistently expressed in the repertoire, in the production of music and in the own forms of transmission. Using a broad cultural-sociological approach, this article investigates these differences by describing popular music practice mainly in the 18th and 19th centuries, with the intention of confronting Volksmusikpflege practices in the 20th century.