Esther M. Zimmer Lederberg
Moslem Influences

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Renaissance and Ottoman World
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Note in the painting above, that there are inscriptions on the drum showing Moslem influences in European culture.

While art, music, theatre design, dance, etc. were undergoing a renaissance in Western Europe during the period referred to as the Renaissance and Baroque, it would be very narrow minded to think that advances in art forms were not taking place in the Moslem world. By Moslem world, reference is to Arabic as well as Persian cultures as well as to the Ottoman Empire. It has been pointed out that due to a lack of linguistic understanding, Europeans had very little contact with the Moslem world (thus any contact was most often negatively biased). Similarly, people in the Moslem world had very little contact with Europeans, and thus viewpoints were biased. Even though a small group of ambassadors and merchants may have bridged both cultures, these rare individuals were insufficient in number to support a cultural exchange. As for "biases", the period of the Renaissance was accompanied in Iberia, North Africa, and the area around the Black Sea and the Mediterranian by pogroms, "molerias", etc. - hardly an ideal opportunity for cultural exchanges cultural contacts.

Art, music, architecture, ceramics, etc. did flourish in the Ottoman courts as well as in Arabic courts. There are important questions: Did the European world influence the Moslem world, did the Moslem world influence the European world, did both cultures develop independently, and finally, did both cultures (as well as Persian culture) influence each other? Experts have their view points. However, there is no question that the Moslem world was influenced by Persian culture. There is no question that Dymitr Kantemir (Khan Temir), prince of Moldavia (1673-1723). Click to see Dimitrie Cantemir. Married first to Kassandra Cantacuzene, 1682–1713 (Constantinople), then in 1717 to Anastasia Trubetskaya (Trubetskoy line). Prince Cantemir wrote the influential history and notation of Ottoman court music.

  • Arabic musical notation: Al-Kindi (d. 874) 1
  • Arabic musical notation: "Kitab al-adwar" of Safi al-Din 'Abd al-Mu'min (d. 1294) 2

  • References
    Contadini, Anna; Norton, Claire; (Eds.), "The Renaissance and the Ottoman World", Ashgate Publishing Ltd., 2013
    .
    Farmer, Henry George; "A History of Arabian Music to the XIIIth Century", LUZAC Oriental, London, 1994
    .
    Feldman, Walter; "Music of the Ottoman Court: Makam, Composition and the Early Ottoman Instrumental Repertoire", VWB 1996
    .
    Stone, Caroline; "Flowers from the East", Saudi ARAMCO World, May/June 2014, pp. 38-43

    Music: Suggested CDs
    "ISTANBUL", Dimitrie Cantimir, Kitâbu 'Ilmi'l-Mûsîkî 'alâ vechi'l-Hurûfât, "The Book of the Science of Music" and the Sephardic and Armenian musical traditions, Hespèrion XXI, Jordi Savall
    .
    "La Sublime Porte, Voix d'Istanbul: 1430 - 1750", Hespèrion XXI, Jordi Savall
    .
    "Orient - Occident: 1200 - 1700", Hespèrion XXI, Jordi Savall
    .
    "Avantagan", Chookasian Armenian Concert Enemble"

    1 Farmer, Henry George; "A History of Arabian Music to the XIIIth Century", LUZAC Oriental, London, 1994, p. 109
    2 Farmer, Henry George; "A History of Arabian Music to the XIIIth Century", LUZAC Oriental, London, 1994, p. 202

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