Music in the World of Islam: A Socio-Cultural Study / Edition 1

by Amnon Shiloah

Overview

Provides basic musicological information about a vast variety of Middle Eastern musical genres within an ethnomusical context.

The story of music told in this book begins in pre-Islamic times with musical forms that bear strong imprints of the Bedouin’s tribal way of life. Pre-Islamic music can be viewed as the forerunner of the art music that acquired a foothold after the advent of Islam. The history of Arab music then became inextricably entwined with the musical traditions of the conquered lands. The merging of diverse forms into a unique common style marked the advent of the Great Musical Tradition that gained favor throughout an extensive geographical area. By the end of Islam’s third century, distinct autonomous styles began to appear involving Persians and Turks in particular.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780814329702
Publisher:	Wayne State University Press
Publication date:	08/01/2001
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	689,247
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.65(d)

About the Author

Amnon Shiloah is professor of musicology at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is the author of several books, including The Performance of Jewish and Arab Music in Israel Today, Vols. 1 and 2 (Gordon and Breach Publishing Group, 1997), The Dimension of Music in Islamic and Jewish Culture (Ashgate Publishing Company, 1993), and Jewish Musical Traditions (Wayne State University Press, 1992).

Editorial Reviews

Shiloah ... provides basic musicological information about a vast variety of Middle Eastern musical genres within an ethnomusical context. The author succeeds remarkably well in holding the reader's attention while imparting copious information on these subjects ... expose[s] the importance of improvisation, creativity, and new trends and makes the reader aware of the breadth and variation possible within a coherent musical tradition. ... Well written with limited resort to technical jargon, it is strongly recommended for nonspecialists. General and academic collections.

Choice

Shiloah (musicology, Hebrew U., Jerusalem) traces the history of music in Islam from the pre-Islamic sources, through the construction of the Great Musical Tradition and the rise of autonomous styles in the several regions of the Muslim empire, to the modernization and westernization of recent periods. He also considers such aspects as music theory, instruments, scales and modes, rhythms, genres, dance, and performance. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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