The 48th Musicological Conference of the Polish Composers’ Union “Borders of Freedom” will take place from 5-7 September at the Leśnik Recreation Centre in Łagów, Poland.
In 1949, the infamous congress of composers and music critics met to impose socialist realism doctrine on Polish artists. It was not the first meeting of communist authorities and artists: earlier there were conventions of writers (in Szczecin), artists (in Nieborów), theater people (in Obory) and architects (in Warsaw). The Łagów events received wide coverage among Polish composers and musicologists, ranging from the moral dilemmas of adapting to dramatic decisions about emigration.
After 70 years, it is worth returning to Łagów to think about the relationship between music and power, music and freedom, and abstract form and mimetic content of the art of sounds. In this historic place, scholars will discuss problems regarding the borders of freedom in music. The presentations will detail the consequences of socialist realist pressure on the Cold War division of Europe, as well as artistic freedom in the context of the history of music.
The event is brought to you in part by the Musicologists’ Section of the Polish Composers’ Union; the Branch Office of Historical Research, Institute of National Remembrance in Poznań; the Institute of Music of the University of Zielona Góra; and the ZAiKS Association of Authors.
[Source: polmic.pl, facebook.com]