Music And Diplomacy From The Early Modern Era To The Present

How does music (its concepts, practices, and institutions) shape the exercise of diplomacy, the pursuit of power, and the conduct of international relations? Drawing together sixteen international scholars with backgrounds in musicology, ethnomusicology, political science, cultural history, French studies, German studies, and communication, this volume interweaves historical, theoretical, and practical perspectives.

Considering such issues as what it means for political bodies to act in concert, the question of music's universality, the concept of free improvisation as it relates to twenty-first century political policy, the role of orchestras and traveling musicians in promoting cultural exchange, and the use of music as an agent of globalization and transnational encounter, the essays not only cross disciplinary boundaries but also geographical and musical ones.

Review: Music, often billed as the 'universal language,' has long played a part on the international political stage. This book explores exactly what diplomatic channels have availed themselves of music, from seventeenth-century Italy to the post-Soviet world we inhabit. The three editors have assembled an impressive group of international scholars for this exciting transdisciplinary project. - Alexander Rehding, Fanny Peabody Professor of Music, Harvard University, USA An exciting and important contribution to the burgeoning scholarship on cultural diplomacy, Music and Diplomacy from the Early Modern Era to the Present offers a fascinating longue duree exploration of the myriad uses of music in diplomacy.

Brilliantly historicizing debates over the power of music, the volume illuminates moments when music has created dispositions and opportunities that have changed the flows of diplomacy. - Penny Von Eschen, Professor, History and American Culture, University of Michigan, USA