E.T.A. Hoffmann: Marking the Bicentennial of His Death
December 2-4, 2022, Department of Music, Smith College
E.T.A Hoffmann stands out among thinkers and artists of the 19th century in the breadth of his influence, not only in the world of literary fiction but notably in parallel artforms, particularly music and ballet. His creative writings have inspired countless musical compositions of the Romantic period—including, famously, Schumann’s Kreisleriana, Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, and Offenbach’s Les contes d’Hoffmann—as well as a number of more contemporary works. Equally remarkable, but arguably less well-known, are Hoffmann’s own compositions and, aside from the extraordinary impact of his review of Beethoven’s Fifth, his work in music criticism. Marking the bicentennial anniversary of his death, the Music Department at Smith College will host an interdisciplinary symposium and two concerts exploring E.T.A. Hoffmann’s intellectual and artistic legacies. The symposium aims to highlight the many dimensions of Hoffmann’s contributions: literary, critical, and musical.
The committee welcomes papers on any aspect of Hoffmann's work and legacy, including but not limited to his impact on later Romantic thought and music, literary studies of his writing, the traces of Romanticism in today's musical cultures, and Hoffmann's own intellectual lineage. We welcome submissions from scholars at any career stage and in any discipline. Presentations should last 20 minutes, followed by 10 minutes of questions and discussion.
Please submit abstracts of no more than 300 words to Smith College Music Department Academic Assistant, Anna Goudreau agoudreau@smith.edu, by September 30th, 2022. Submit as attachments with paper title and without your name or affiliation.