This avenue of research focuses on the interactions between the influences on music, whether spiritual, temporal or social, and the forces and counter-forces generated by music. It looks into the constraints imposed on the elaboration of repertoires, how musical institutions tailored their repertoire to meet requirements, and appraises how much artistic freedom remained.
Special focus is brought to bear on how the music was appreciated by the public as a vehicle for emotions, central to aesthetic, social and political considerations. It seeks to reassess the political importance of the music and highlight cultural expression during the Ancien Régime.
