Giovanni De Zorzi

This strand concerns the revival of Ottoman art music and Sufi-inspired forms of spirituality in contemporary Turkey. Under the Turkish Republic, Ottoman art music underwent a long period of neglect, Sufi lodges were closed, and their musical ceremonies prohibited. Since the 1980s, the revival of Ottoman culture has become a major transnational trend. In the sphere of music, the revival process has involved the rediscovery of repertoires and instruments, while revivalist ensembles have produced landmark performances and recordings of early Ottoman music repertoires, and musicians rooted the Mevlevi tradition have performed and taught this repertoire internationally. We explore the ways in which state patronage of Sufi practice and Ottoman arts has affected their subtle aesthetic, and the ways in which the revival has challenged the geographical boundaries of modern Turkey.

 

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