Music in Turkey

About this book

Music in contemporary Turkey is inextricably linked to the history of the Republic of Turkey and the complex histories of the Ottoman Empire and numerous other empires that preceded it. It is also an ideal avenue for introducing one of the most vibrant multicultural areas in the Middle East. Turkey is home to a rich variety of highly localized musical traditions--comprised of regional repertoires, instruments, performance practices, and dances--bound together by a strong sense of national identity. The first brief, stand-alone volume to explore the musical and cultural traditions of this region, Music in Turkey places the diverse sounds of the country (and the Middle East at large) in their social contexts. Author Eliot Bates employs four themes in his survey of Turkish music: the role of music in forming a national consciousness about local and regional cultures; how changes in musical meaning pertain to changes in contemporary Turkish society; the process of arrangement, where technology is creatively used to revitalize and modernize traditional music; and how today's Anatolian musical instrument performance and construction are linked to local, regional, and national identities. The author draws on his extensive regional fieldwork, offering accounts of local performances, interviews with key performers, and vivid illustrations. -- Back cover.