Lecture: Ottoman Musical Modernity in the "Long" 18th Century

Throughout the Ottoman 18th century a trend that might be termed “modernity” was seen in new concepts of music theory, in an emphasis on musical notation, and an unprecedented collaboration of Sufi Muslim, Greek Orthodox and Armenian musicians in creating a new repertoire and style. This trend seems to have its beginning with the Moldavian composer and theorist Prince Demetrius Cantemir (1673-1723), his teacher Mustafa Itri and the Mevlevi composer Osman Dede. This talk aims to examine how together they and the next generations of musicians reconstructed both the theory and practice of the music of the Ottoman Court.

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Workshop: A Locally Generated Modernity: The Ottoman Empire in the “Long” 18th Century

Workshop at NYU-Abu Dhabi Feb. 19-21, 2018
 

This workshop aims to provoke discussion and to facilitate future research surrounding the term "locally generated modernity” from a historical and contemporary perspective in the context of Islamic and Eastern Orthodox societies. During the “long” 18th century the Ottoman Empire demonstrated unexpected strength as well as cultural and political innovations. Over the past two decades Ottoman historians have employed the term “locally generated modernity” for a process that had its beginnings in the 17th century and both preceded and partly conflicted with attempts to modernize Ottoman society along Western lines in the first half of the 19th century. By approaching these local changes as an alternative form of “modernity,” scholars acquire a powerful means to understand the potential latent within these societies.

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