Skip to content
1981
Music on Television in the “Long 1960s”
  • ISSN: 2046-9861
  • E-ISSN: 2046-987X

Abstract

In August 1969, the music documentary series (1964–78) focused on electronic music in a 55-minute-long film titled ‘The Same Trade as Mozart’. Produced and directed by David Buckton, the film included interviews with composers Karlheinz Stockhausen, Tristram Cary and Justin Connolly; BBC Radiophonic Workshop staff Desmond Briscoe, David Cain and John Baker, and the Workshop’s founder, Daphne Oram; and Peter Zinovieff, director of EMS (Electronic Music Studios). It presented electronic music in a number of contexts, such as education, pop production and live performance. Technological change in music has often provoked hostility among the public and critics, and the rapid advancement of electronic music post-Second World War was no exception. Adopting a mode of analysis more commonly encountered in studies of the public communication of science, this article considers ‘The Same Trade as Mozart’ as an attempt by electronic music’s advocates, such as those listed above, to convince sceptics of its value. While sceptical responses to the presence of new technologies in music have been widely noted and theorized by scholars in science and technology studies, we call attention to the strategies employed by the advocates of such technologies to defend themselves against such criticisms, including humour, heuristic explanations and a focus on electronic music’s educational and thus social value. The use of computers in electronic music was a new and contentious development in the field, requiring a greater degree of advocacy from its proponents. We examine how the computer’s role in composition is presented in ‘The Same Trade as Mozart’, compared with other media portrayals of computing in the 1960s. Drawing on theories of filmed musical performance, we discuss how visual tropes of ‘classical’ music are used in ‘The Same Trade as Mozart’ to challenge preconceptions about the relationships between composers, musicians and new technologies.

© 2021 Intellect Ltd
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1386/jptv_00041_1
2021-03-01
2026-04-20

Metrics

Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Angliss, S.. ( 2013;), ‘ Mimics, menaces, or new musical horizons? Musicians’ attitudes toward the first commercial drum machines and samplers. ’, in F. Weium, and T. Boon. (eds), Material Culture and Electronic Sound, Washington, DC:: Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press;, pp. 95–130.
     [Google Scholar]
  2. Anon. ( 1968), Computer Orchestra, UK:: British Pathé;.
     [Google Scholar]
  3. Balázs, B.. ([1949] 1970), Theory of the Film: Character and Growth of a New Art (trans. E. Bone.), New York:: Dover;.
     [Google Scholar]
  4. Bijsterveld, K., and Schulp, M.. ( 2004;), ‘ Breaking into a world of perfection: Innovation in today’s classical musical instruments. ’, Social Studies of Science, 34:5, pp. 649–74.
     [Google Scholar]
  5. Brend, M.. ( 2012), The Sound of Tomorrow: How Electronic Music Was Smuggled into the Mainstream, London:: Continuum;.
     [Google Scholar]
  6. Brindle, R. S.. ( 1956a;), ‘ The lunatic fringe: I. Concrete music. ’, Musical Times, 97:1359, p. 246.
     [Google Scholar]
  7. Brindle, R. S.. ( 1956b;), ‘ The lunatic fringe: II. Electronic music. ’, Musical Times, 97:1360, pp. 300–01.
     [Google Scholar]
  8. Brindle, R. S.. ( 1956c;), ‘ The lunatic fringe: III. Computational composition. ’, Musical Times, 97:1361, pp. 354–56.
     [Google Scholar]
  9. Brindle, R. S.. ( 1975), The New Music: The Avant-Garde since 1945, Oxford:: Oxford University Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  10. Brindle, R. S.. ( 1987), The New Music: The Avant-Garde since 1945, , 2nd ed.., Oxford:: Oxford University Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  11. Butler, D.. ( 2014;), ‘ “Way out of this world!” Delia Derbyshire, Doctor Who and the British public’s awareness of electronic music in the 1960s. ’, Critical Studies in Television, 9:1, pp. 62–76.
     [Google Scholar]
  12. Candlish, N. A.. ( 2012;), ‘ The development of resources for electronic music in the UK, with particular reference to the bids to establish a national studio. ’, Ph.D. thesis, Durham:: University of Durham;.
     [Google Scholar]
  13. Cary, T.. ( 1966;), ‘ Electronic music: A call for action. ’, Musical Times, 107:1478, pp. 312–13.
     [Google Scholar]
  14. Cary, T.. ( 1968;), ‘ Why not a national sound laboratory?. ’, The Guardian, 13 August, p. 6.
     [Google Scholar]
  15. Ceruzzi, P.. ( 2003), A History of Modern Computing, Cambridge, MA:: MIT Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  16. Cohen, T. J.. ( 2009), Playing to the Camera: Musicians and Musical Performance in Documentary Cinema, New York:: Wallflower Press and Columbia University Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  17. Cohen, T. J.. ( 2014;), ‘ Music, science and educational film in post-war Britain. ’, in H. Rogers. (ed.), Music and Sound in Documentary Film, Abingdon:: Routledge;, pp. 74–85.
     [Google Scholar]
  18. The Computer and Literature (1964). , Third Programme, BBC, UK:, 29 September.
     [Google Scholar]
  19. Cubitt, K.. ( 1970;), ‘ Dial a tune. ’, The Guardian, 3 September, p. 9.
     [Google Scholar]
  20. Davies, S.,, Halpern, M.,, Horst, M.,, Kirby, D., and Lewenstein, B.. ( 2019;), ‘ Science stories as culture: Experience, identity, narrative and emotion in public communication of science. ’, Journal of Science Communication, 18:5, pp. 1–17.
     [Google Scholar]
  21. Dennis, B.. ( 1970), Experimental Music in Schools: Towards a New World of Sound, London:: Oxford University Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  22. Devine, K.. ( 2014;), ‘ A mysterious music in the air: Cultural origins of the loudspeaker. ’, Popular Music History, 8:1, pp. 5–28.
     [Google Scholar]
  23. Fouché, R.. ( 2006;), ‘ Say it loud, I’m black and I’m proud: African Americans, American artifactual culture, and black vernacular technological creativity. ’, American Quarterly, 58:3, pp. 639–61.
     [Google Scholar]
  24. Gill, S.. ( [1963] 1993;), ‘ A technique for the composition of music in a computer. ’, in S. M. Schwanauer, and D. A. Levitt. (eds), Machine Models of Music, Cambridge, MA:: MIT Press;, pp. 42–53.
     [Google Scholar]
  25. Grogono, P.. ( 1973;), ‘ MUSYS: Software for an electronic music studio. ’, Software: Practice and Experience, 3:4, pp. 369–83.
     [Google Scholar]
  26. Hiller, L.. ( 1970;), ‘ Music composed with computers: A historical survey. ’, in H. Lincoln. (ed.), The Computer in Music, Ithaca, NY and London:: Cornell University Press;, pp. 42–96.
     [Google Scholar]
  27. Holmes, T.. ( 2016), Electronic and Experimental Music: Technology, Music, and Culture, , 5th ed.., London:: Routledge;.
     [Google Scholar]
  28. Ivall, T. E.. ( 1968;), ‘ An evening of sonic effects. ’, Wireless World, 74:1389, p. 21.
     [Google Scholar]
  29. Landy, L.. ( 2007), Understanding the Art of Sound Organization, Cambridge, MA:: MIT Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  30. Manning, P.. ( 2013), Electronic and Computer Music, , 4th ed.., Oxford:: Oxford University Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  31. Mathews, M.,, Miller, J.,, Moore, F. R.,, Pierce, J. R., and Risset, J. C.. ( 1969), The Technology of Computer Music, London:: MIT Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  32. Mathieson, M.. ( 1946), Instruments of the Orchestra, UK:: Crown Film Unit;.
     [Google Scholar]
  33. Mitchell, C.. ( 1972), Computers and Construction, UK:: T&S;.
     [Google Scholar]
  34. Montano, E.. ( 2010;), ‘ “How do you know he’s not playing Pac-Man while he’s supposed to be DJing?”: Technology, formats and the digital future of DJ culture. ’, Popular Music, 29:3, pp. 397–416.
     [Google Scholar]
  35. Moorefield, V.. ( 2005), The Producer as Composer: Shaping the Sounds of Popular Music, Cambridge, MA:: MIT Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  36. MS T13/258/1 ( 1968;), ‘ David Buckton letter to Karlheinz Stockhausen. ’, 12 August, Caversham:: BBC Written Archives Centre;.
     [Google Scholar]
  37. MS T13/258/1 ( 1969;), ‘ promotional material. ’, 2–4 July, Caversham:: BBC Written Archives Centre;.
     [Google Scholar]
  38. Mulkay, M. J.. ( 1988), On Humour: Its Nature and Its Place in Modern Society, Cambridge:: Polity Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  39. Niebur, L.. ( 2010), Special Sound: The Creation and Legacy of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, Oxford:: Oxford University Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  40. Nye, D. E.. ( 1994), American Technological Sublime, Cambridge, MA:: MIT Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  41. Paynter, J., and Aston, P.. ( 1970), Sound and Silence: Classroom Projects in Creative Music, Cambridge, MA:: Cambridge University Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  42. Piekut, B.. ( 2014;), ‘ Indeterminacy, free improvisation and the mixed avant-garde: Experimental music in London: 1965–75. ’, Journal of the American Musicological Society, 67:3, pp. 769–824.
     [Google Scholar]
  43. Pinch, T., and Bijsterveld, K.. ( 2003;), ‘ “Should one applaud?”: Breaches and boundaries in the reception of new technology in music. ’, Technology and Culture, 44:3, pp. 536–59.
     [Google Scholar]
  44. Pinch, T., and Trocco, F.. ( 2002), Analog Days: The Invention and Impact of the Moog Synthesizer, Cambridge, MA:: Harvard University Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  45. Reichardt, J.. (ed.) ( 1968), Studio International, Special Issue: ‘Cybernetic Serendipity: The Computer and the Arts’, July.
     [Google Scholar]
  46. Routh, F.. ( 1972), Contemporary British Music: The Twenty-Five Years from 1945 to 1970, London:: Macdonald;.
     [Google Scholar]
  47. Routh, F.. ( 2012;), ‘ Redcliffe concerts of British music. ’, Francis Routh:: The Definitive Archive;, https://francisrouth.net/biography/redcliffe-concerts-of-british-music/. Accessed 16 December 2019.
  48. Sadie, S.. ( 1968;), ‘ More experiments with sound. ’, The Times, 11 January, p. 6.
     [Google Scholar]
  49. Stiegler, B.. ( 2015), Symbolic Misery, vol. 2, Cambridge:: Polity Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  50. Stockhausen, K.. ( 1968;), ‘ Aus den Sieben Tagen: From the Seven Days. ’, score, Vienna:: Universal Edition;.
     [Google Scholar]
  51. Strasser, A.. ( 1950), Science in the Orchestra, UK:: Realist Film Unit;.
     [Google Scholar]
  52. Théberge, P.. ( 1997), Any Sound You Can Imagine: Making Music/Consuming Technology, Hanover, NH:: Wesleyan University Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  53. UNESCO ( 1971), Music and Technology: Prepared for UNESCO on the Basis of the Papers and Reports of the Meeting on Music and Technology, Organized by UNESCO in Stockholm, Sweden, in June 1970, Paris:: La Revue Musicale;.
     [Google Scholar]
  54. Weium, F.. ( 2013;), ‘ Technology and authenticity: The reception of the Hammond Organ in Norway. ’, in F. Weium, and T. Boon. (eds), Material Culture and Electronic Sound, Washington, DC:: Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press;, pp. 67–93.
     [Google Scholar]
  55. Williams, S.. ( 2016;), ‘ Interpretation and performance practice in realizing Stockhausen’s Studie II. ’, Journal of the Royal Musical Association, 141:2, pp. 445–81.
     [Google Scholar]
  56. Winter, K.. ( 1976;), ‘ Electronic music studios in Britain 2: University College, Cardiff. ’, Contact, 13, Spring, pp. 31–33.
     [Google Scholar]
  57. Zattra, L.. ( 2017;), ‘ Collaborating on composition: The role of the musical assistant at IRCAM, CCRMA and CRC. ’, in F. Sallis,, V. Bertolani,, J. Burle, and L. Zattra. (eds), Live Electronic Music: Composition, Performance, Study, Abingdon and New York:: Routledge;, pp. 59–80.
     [Google Scholar]
  58. Zinovieff, P.. ( 1968;), ‘ Two electronic music computer projects in Britain. ’, Studio International, Special Issue: ‘Cybernetic Serendipity: The Computer and the Arts’, July, pp. 28–29.
     [Google Scholar]
  59. Zinovieff, P.. ( 1969;), ‘ The special case of inspirational computer music scores. ’, London Magazine, 4:9, pp. 165–76.
     [Google Scholar]
  60. Zinovieff, P.. ( 2014), Electronic Calendar: The EMS Tapes, CD, Corby:: Space Age Recordings;.
     [Google Scholar]
  61. Doctor Who ( 1963–89, 1994, 2005–present, UK:: BBC;).
     [Google Scholar]
  62. Machines Like Men ( 1962, UK:: BBC;).
     [Google Scholar]
  63. Tomorrow’s World ( 1952–2003, UK:: BBC;).
     [Google Scholar]
  64.      ‘6 March 1968’.
  65. Workshop ( 1964–78, UK:: BBC;).
     [Google Scholar]
  66.      ‘ The Same Trade as Mozart. ’ (3 August 1969).
  67. Morgan, Frances, and Mooney, James. ( 2021;), ‘ “The Same Trade as Mozart”: Convincing the sceptics of electronic music's value. ’, Journal of Popular Television, 9:1, pp. 55–77, doi: https://doi.org/10.1386/jptv_00041_1
     [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1386/jptv_00041_1
Loading
‘The Same Trade as Mozart’: Convincing the sceptics of electronic music’s value
Journal of Popular Television, The 9, 55 (2021); https://doi.org/10.1386/jptv_00041_1
/content/journals/10.1386/jptv_00041_1
/content/journals/10.1386/jptv_00041_1
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Article
Keyword(s): electronic music; filmed musical performance; history of computing; music on television; public communication of science; reception of new technology

Most Cited Most Cited RSS feed

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a success
Invalid data
An error occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error
Please enter a valid_number test