‘The Same Trade as Mozart’: Convincing the sceptics of electronic music’s value

In August 1969, the music documentary series Workshop (1964–78) focused on electronic in a 55-minute-long film titled ‘The Same Trade as Mozart’. Produced and directed by David Buckton, included interviews with composers Karlheinz Stockhausen, Tristram Cary Justin Connolly; BBC Radiophonic staff Desmond Briscoe, Cain John Baker, Workshop’s founder, Daphne Oram; Peter Zinovieff, director of EMS (Electronic Music Studios). It presented number contexts, such education, pop production live performance. Technological change has often provoked hostility among public critics, rapid advancement post-Second World War was no exception. Adopting mode analysis more commonly encountered studies communication science, this article considers Mozart’ an attempt music’s advocates, those listed above, to convince sceptics its value. While sceptical responses presence new technologies have been widely noted theorized scholars science technology studies, we call attention strategies employed advocates defend themselves against criticisms, including humour, heuristic explanations focus educational thus social The use computers contentious development field, requiring greater degree advocacy from proponents. We examine how computer’s role composition is Mozart’, compared other media portrayals computing 1960s. Drawing theories filmed musical performance, discuss visual tropes ‘classical’ are used challenge preconceptions about relationships between composers, musicians technologies.