musicology

musicology (Ger. Musikwissenschaft). Mus. scholarship. A 20th-cent. word taken into the Eng. language (from the Fr. musicologie), but the Ger. term Musikwissenschaft was coined by J. B. Logier in 1827. It may be said to cover all study of mus. other than that directed to proficiency in perf. or comp. Thus, a musicologist is one who is a specialist in some mus. study.

Among the divisions of musicology are acoustics; the physiology of v., ear, and hand; the psychology of aesthetics and, more directly, of mus. appreciation and education; ethnology so far as it bears on mus. (incl. folksongs, folk dances, etc.); rhythm and metrics; modes and scales; the principles and development of instrs.; orchestration; form; theories of harmony; the history of mus.; the bibliography of mus.; terminology—and so forth.

The International Mus. Soc. (IMS, 1900–14) had as its purpose the promotion of musicological study, and its post-war successor made its purpose clear in its name—‘Société Internationale de Musicologie’ (SIM, founded 1928, publishes journal Acta Musicologica). There are also nat. musicological socs. in many countries. A Brit. musicological soc. (The Royal Mus. Assoc.) has existed since 1874, and the Amer. Musicological Soc. was founded in 1934: both socs. publish journals.