From Imperialism to Nationalism: Ottoman-Swedish Musical Relations

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 suppl...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Evren Kutlay
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Istanbul University Press 2023-01-01
Series:Art-Sanat
Subjects:
Online Access:https://cdn.istanbul.edu.tr/file/JTA6CLJ8T5/C8A21DE6113C41E0A0C6FA61126A7031
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Summary: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.
ISSN:2148-3582