The Orient In Music Music Of The Orient

“OM”, a fundamental meditation sound present in the cultures of Buddhism, is a syllable full of philosophical and transcendental meanings. The category of the Orient, as contrasted, antithetical and complementary to the Occident (West) and its culture, appears to be one of the most interesting and long-lasting issues discussed in the humanities. European fascination with Oriental cultures has found multifaceted manifestations in science, art, fashion and beliefs. Music, as an important element of cultural communication, has always been well suited for transitions and inspirations. The relationship between the Orient and Western music encompasses a wide and fascinating scope of problems, a field of various multidimensional influences which brings an opportunity not only to study particular questions, but also to search for universal and fundamental values. This collection of essays is a result of an International Conference titled “OM: Orient in Music – Music of the Orient”, held at the Grażyna and Kiejstut Academy of Music in Łódź, Poland, in March 2016. The volume provides insight into the many ways in which the music of the East and West can be understood and treated by both Western and Eastern scholars.

This book provides a description and preservation of Oriental notational systems, the study of which makes possible a deeper understanding of Eastern art music and demonstrates its character to the student more meaningfully than does the mere presentation of recordings and musical examples written in Western staff notation. The numerous problems arising from styles and techniques which are based upon improvisation and extramusical concepts are also considered. The purposes of this study will have been fulfilled if it serves as a stimulus toward further research in this fascinating, but, alas, quickly vanishing field. The presentation of Eastern notations may also provide some aesthetic pleasure from the study of unusual and often complex systems and symbols. —from the Preface

Filling a significant gap in current scholarship, the fourteen original essays that make up this volume individually and collectively reflect on the relationship between music and Orientalism in the British Empire over the course of the long nineteenth ce

This book focuses on the cultural, political and religious representations of the Orient in Western music. Dr Nasser Al-Taee traces several threads in a vast repertoire of musical representations, concentrating primarily on the images of violence and sensuality. Al-Taee argues that these prevailing traits are not only the residual manifestation of the Ottoman threat to Western Europe, but also the continuation of a long and complex history of fear and fascination towards the Orient and its Islamic religion. In addition to analyses of musical works, Al-Taee draws on travel accounts, paintings, biographies, and political events to engage with important issues such as gender, race, and religious differences that may have contributed to the variously complex images of the Orient in Western music. The study extends the range of Orientalism to cover eighteenth-century Austria, nineteenth-century Russia, and twentieth-century America. The book challenges those scholars who do not see Orientalism as problematic and tend to ignore the role of musical representations in shaping the image of the Other within a wider interdisciplinary study of knowledge and power.

"This book focuses on the cultural, political and religious representations of the Orient in Western music. Dr Nasser Al-Taee traces several threads in a vast repertoire of musical representations, concentrating primarily on the images of violence and sensuality. Al-Taee argues that these prevailing traits are not only the residual manifestation of the Ottoman threat to Western Europe, but also the continuation of a long and complex history of fear and fascination towards the Orient and its Islamic religion. In addition to analyses of musical works, Al-Taee draws on travel accounts, paintings, biographies, and political events to engage with important issues such as gender, race, and religious differences that may have contributed to the variously complex images of the Orient in Western music. The study extends the range of Orientalism to cover eighteenth-century Austria, nineteenth-century Russia, and twentieth-century America. The book challenges those scholars who do not see Orientalism as problematic and tend to ignore the role of musical representations in shaping the image of the Other within a wider interdisciplinary study of knowledge and power."--Provided by publisher.