From Imperialism to Nationalism: Ottoman-Swedish Musical Relations
Abstract
Ottoman-Swedish music-historical relations date back to the early 18th century when King of Sweden Karl XII took refuge in the Ottoman Empire with his army. During the Ottoman Empire’s 18th and 19th-century modernization processes, these connections continued. Swedish instrument makers started supplying Ottoman military bands once the Muzıka-yı Hümâyûn (The Imperial Music and Performing Arts Institution) was founded. According to three archival files identified in the Directory of State Archives in Istanbul, military band instruments were bought for Sultan Abdulhamid II in 1890 and 1907. Moreover, the first Ottoman governmental march in Western style, Mahmudie, was of Swedish interest, and the Swedish march Tre Trallande Jäntor (Three Carolling Girls) was of Ottoman.
Studies on Ottoman-Swedish relations mostly focus on economic, political, or diplomatic issues. Music-historical studies on this subject are under-represented, and limited in number and content. Thus, the Swedish musical contribution to the Ottoman military and the musical connections between these two countries are still understudied subjects in the global academic world. This paper is in the fields of cultural history and cultural diplomacy. It examines the historical background of Ottoman-Swedish musical relations through the historical method, by adopting data collection and descriptive data analysis techniques to interpret the findings in line with the era’s historical, social, and political developments, as well as with the ideologies of modernization and nationalism.
Keywords
References
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Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
-
Journal Section
Research Article
Authors
Evren Kutlay
*
0000-0001-7164-4282
Türkiye
Publication Date
January 31, 2023
Submission Date
May 7, 2022
Acceptance Date
January 23, 2023
Published in Issue
Year 2023 Number: 19