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Music in the World of Islam A Socio-Cultural Study Amnon Shiloah

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.

"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

$22.95s paper / ISBN 0-8143-2970-5 262 pages 16 illustrations 2001 For sale only in the United States and Canada