Premieres, innovations, and influential revivals jump off the pages of musicological scholarship, contributing to a historical narrative that emphasizes progress and the new even when the overwhelming majority of historical evidence suggests that “progress” and “novelty” are exceptions at best, pure constructions at worst.
In an effort to present both grand, historical narrative and even grander – but also blander – historical minutiae, “The Musical Geography of 1924 Paris” offers an interactive portal through which to visualize and reconceptualize the basic stuff of history. Our chronological map and text-based index allow you to search and sift through hundreds of music performances and other public events, making it possible to “see” history from perspectives both distant and unusually close.
Create a timeline of important premieres, or imagine planning a single night on the town involving multiple performances. Compare attendance at nightly performances before, during, and after the 1924 Summer Olympics. Ignore the Opéra in favor of cabarets and bars, or stay “home” and peruse the best of what the radio and phonograph have to offer. Ultimately, “The Musical Geography of 1924 Paris” allows an experience of history that traditional forms of scholarship cannot. With a new lens, what new historical insights will emerge?