New visiting PhD fellow at PRIVACY
We are pleased to welcome Jan Temme de Vries as a visiting PhD fellow at the Centre for Privacy Studies from September to November 2025.
Jan is a PhD candidate in Musicology at the University of Basel, affiliated with the SNF-funded project NightMuse – The Night Side of Music. He describes his research as follows:
Throughout history, the night sky has captivated the imaginations of both artists and philosophers alike. Yet, its perception underwent a profound transformation beginning in the 1660s, spurred by the rise of the “New Sciences.” No longer were the movements of celestial bodies seen simply as manifestations of divine intervention; instead, they were understood as governed by natural laws, ordained by God. This shift found expression in 18th-century hymns and religious songs crafted for private worship, where the night, once feared as a time of peril and despair, was reimagined as a sublime facet of God’s creation. The night sky emerged as a luminous stage for divine revelation. The sources, this project is based upon, stem from Leipzig, Hamburg, and Copenhagen.
In my PhD project, I explore this hermeneutic transformation and its profound influence on music. The artistic drive to evoke the sublime through the elegant galante style mirrors an evolving theological perspective: creation as a purposeful, awe-inspiring act of God—simultaneously vast in its complexity and breathtaking in its elegant simplicity.
We look forward to the scholarly exchange Jan will be part of during his time at the Centre.