Music in the Ottoman Imperial Harem and the Life of Composer Leyla Saz (1850-1936)

Nonfiction, Entertainment, Music, Theory & Criticism, Ethnomusicology
Cover of the book Music in the Ottoman Imperial Harem and the Life of Composer Leyla Saz (1850-1936) by Kathryn Woodard, BookBaby
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Kathryn Woodard ISBN: 9781618428257
Publisher: BookBaby Publication: December 15, 2011
Imprint: Language: English
Author: Kathryn Woodard
ISBN: 9781618428257
Publisher: BookBaby
Publication: December 15, 2011
Imprint:
Language: English

The Ottoman Imperial Harem conjures up many images in the West, and the concept of ‘harem’ has been a central fixture in any attempt to portray the backwardness of Islam, both historically and as the precursor to the treatment of women in Muslim countries today. The memoirs of Ottoman composer Leyla Saz provide a much more complicated picture of the Imperial Harem, both in terms of the status of women and the role that music played there. I first came across Saz’s music and memoirs in 1998 while researching the Turkish composer Ahmed Adnan Saygun in Istanbul. "The Imperial Harem of the Sultans: Memoirs of Leyla (Saz) Hanimefendi" is readily available in Turkish and English as are several publications including her Ottoman classical compositions. Intrigued by a chapter about both Turkish and Western music in the Harem, I read the book with the preconceived notion that Leyla Saz was a courtesan entertaining Sultans, which required her to learn music. However, her memoirs contradict this notion. The writing of memoirs was not commonplace during Ottoman times, and therefore Leyla Saz’s recollections offer a rare personal account of life in the Imperial Harem by a woman who became a prominent composer of Ottoman classical music. The essay includes a discussion of the introduction of Western music to the Ottoman court in the nineteenth century, explanations of compositions by Leyla Saz, a traditional Ottoman song and a march composed in 1908. Musical notation is provided for both along with an arrangement of the march for piano by the author.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The Ottoman Imperial Harem conjures up many images in the West, and the concept of ‘harem’ has been a central fixture in any attempt to portray the backwardness of Islam, both historically and as the precursor to the treatment of women in Muslim countries today. The memoirs of Ottoman composer Leyla Saz provide a much more complicated picture of the Imperial Harem, both in terms of the status of women and the role that music played there. I first came across Saz’s music and memoirs in 1998 while researching the Turkish composer Ahmed Adnan Saygun in Istanbul. "The Imperial Harem of the Sultans: Memoirs of Leyla (Saz) Hanimefendi" is readily available in Turkish and English as are several publications including her Ottoman classical compositions. Intrigued by a chapter about both Turkish and Western music in the Harem, I read the book with the preconceived notion that Leyla Saz was a courtesan entertaining Sultans, which required her to learn music. However, her memoirs contradict this notion. The writing of memoirs was not commonplace during Ottoman times, and therefore Leyla Saz’s recollections offer a rare personal account of life in the Imperial Harem by a woman who became a prominent composer of Ottoman classical music. The essay includes a discussion of the introduction of Western music to the Ottoman court in the nineteenth century, explanations of compositions by Leyla Saz, a traditional Ottoman song and a march composed in 1908. Musical notation is provided for both along with an arrangement of the march for piano by the author.

More books from BookBaby

Cover of the book The Congruent Path by Kathryn Woodard
Cover of the book Lunar Contact by Kathryn Woodard
Cover of the book Princess Trilogy Study Guide by Kathryn Woodard
Cover of the book Vademecum Italica by Kathryn Woodard
Cover of the book All the Wrong Men by Kathryn Woodard
Cover of the book I Can Do Better By Mistake by Kathryn Woodard
Cover of the book A Friend in Grief by Kathryn Woodard
Cover of the book A New Kind of Pentecostalism by Kathryn Woodard
Cover of the book ¡Es Urgente Reeducar! by Kathryn Woodard
Cover of the book Build the Rainbow of Your Success by Kathryn Woodard
Cover of the book Raising Black Boys to Men by Kathryn Woodard
Cover of the book The Devil's Portrait by Kathryn Woodard
Cover of the book Orient Express Stop #13 -- Serbia by Kathryn Woodard
Cover of the book Held Together by Kathryn Woodard
Cover of the book Do You Want to Work in Baseball? by Kathryn Woodard
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy