Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht: Museumkunst?

photo: Marieke Wijntjes

Is early music Museumkunst?

It sounds like a trick question. Of course, the answer is yes!

Museumkunst refers to cultural expressions that have entered the canon: masterpieces that fully deserve to be preserved, protected, and passed on to new generations.

But the term is sometimes used mockingly. Museumkunst can also refer to outdated art that, while it may be conserved, has in fact lost its relevance in contemporary society — art in which the fire has gone out.

Much of the art music of past centuries was functional music. Today, little remains of that original function. Religious music is relocated to the secular concert hall. Music with political purposes is neutralized into background music. As an early music festival, we do much the same as museums: we detach cultural expressions from their original environment and place them in a new context, with a new purpose: to let people experience beauty. But can we truly do this without consequence? Are we not cutting off the lifeblood of the music? Or is it more complex?

Many young musicians today feel the urge to create new rituals. They transform concerts into fictional liturgical performances. They cherish atmosphere, weaving theatrical experiences together to create new inspiration. We showcase and explore this striking trend. It is just one of the many answers to the central question of this festival edition: how do we keep heritage alive for people today?