2013/09/19 by Joseph Mainzer · 1 citation
Social Sciences · Computer Science · #Child Development and Education #Educational Methods and Media Use #Educational Research and Methods #Art #Humanities
paper · doi:10.1017/cbo9781107300101
openalex publication_date 2013/09/19 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21
Published in 1848, this short work by Joseph Mainzer (1801–51) argues for the considerable value of music as part of general education. A German priest, teacher and composer, Mainzer had an important influence on the development of amateur music and the choral movement in the first half of the nineteenth century. Attracting large numbers of adult labourers, he gave free singing classes, using his own highly influential teaching system. Music, Mainzer argues here, not only brings direct moral and social benefits, but also takes the place of potentially harmful habits and leisure activities, such as the drinking of alcohol. The work defines music in relation to its educational value and potential, exploring the origins, development and moral influence of music since the ancient Greeks. Mainzer also discusses the ways in which music is taught at all levels.