From fleeing the holocaust from Czechoslovakia to the US as a child, to being a founding member of the Society of Ethnomusicology, to being one of that field’s most well-respected figures, Bruno Nettl’s life and work is nothing short of remarkable.
In terms of musical study, Nettl wrote on subjects as diverse as the indigenous traditions of North America and the classical music of Iran, but he is perhaps best known for his studies of the field of ethnomusicology itself. No budding ethnomusicologist can avoid his book The Study of Ethnomusicology, a work he first published in 1983 and updated continuously throughout his life, which lays out the essential thought processes and discussions that scholars should undertake before, during and after their research.
Writing at length about the intricacies and philosophies behind study itself is one of those things that can quickly get very dense and very dry, but Nettl’s particular talent was presenting his thoughts in an in-depth and authoritative way while remaining easily accessible and even down-right entertaining. I don’t think I’ve read another ethnomusicologist who is as comfortable making puns and dad-level jokes as Nettl.
Across any field, and certainly within ethnomusicology, it would be hard to come across a person whose work has consistently defined and redefined the meanings of the discipline throughout such a long career as Bruno Nettl. He will be missed, but his work and words will echo on. A memorial concert will be held for Nettl on May 10 at the University of Illinois in Urbana.
Photo: Bruno Nettl, by L. Brian Stauffer.