Music and cultural institutions: contributions to an urban musicology in 20th century Blumenau

Abstract

Based on so-called urban musicology studies, this article seeks to historicize the relations of production, consumption and reception of music, as well as the circulation of musicians and their repertoires in the context of the main secular cultural institutions of Blumenau`s (Santa Catarina State) urban center in the first half of the 20th century. The Teatro Frohsinn is taken, located on Rua das Palmeiras, the first city center (Stadtplatz), a place where gathered numerous singing and music societies (bands), which performed a musical repertoire mostly in German. With the development of the urban nucleus, the central area of Blumenau was characterized by Rua XV de Novembro, which became the main and commercial street of the city, space in which the new headquarters for Frohsinn was established, which became Sociedade Dramatico-Musical Carlos Gomes, adapting to the socio-political realities of the time, such as Nationalization Campaign, mainly promoting concert music. Urban popular music had greater traffic outside the theaters, such as in the ballrooms where the city's bands used to perform and in the street cinema, Cine Busch, also located in the city central region, and having a stage, was a place for presentations of groups from other regions.