Music and Musicians in the Medieval Islamicate World

Lisa Nielson here presents a rich social and cultural history of music, musicianship and musicians in the early Islamic world. Focusing on Damascus, Baghdad and Jerusalem, she draws on a wide variety of textual sources written for or about musicians- including chronicles, literary sources, memoirs and musical treatises - as well as the disciplinary approaches of musicology to offer insights into musical performances and the lives of musicians. In the process, the book sheds light onto the dynamics of medieval Islamic courts, as well as slavery, gender, status and identity in courtly life. It will appeal to scholars of the Islamic world and historical musicologists.