Duration: 2006–2021

The primary goal of this research project is the comprehensive collection and analysis of archival and musical sources on the social and institutional history of court orchestras in southwestern Germany. Comparative institutional-historical inquiries in a pan-European context, as well as stylistic analyses of compositional practices in court and aristocratic ensembles, studies on their role in the historical development of the modern orchestra—taking into account innovations in 18th-century instrument making—as well as questions regarding historical performance practice constitute further focal points of the research.

From the wealth of surviving works, a selection of the most valuable and historically significant compositions is made and published in-house. These sheet music editions are intended for both scholars and practitioners, taking into account aspects of source criticism and historical performance practice in equal measure. Research findings are also presented through the exchange of information and collaboration with other research institutions, via international conferences and exhibitions, in encyclopedias and scholarly journals, as well as—in a popular science format—in lectures, radio broadcasts, newspaper articles, program booklets, and CD booklets.

Link to a video (external link), which presents a research project in which the “Southwest German Court Music” research center was involved and which was carried out in recent months by the orchestra Arte del mondo as part of the “Program for Orchestras Facing New Challenges” organized by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.