Challenges and New Insights in the Critical Edition of the Persianate Repertoire in Ottoman Music

Abstract

Many scribes of historical Ottoman song text collections attributed pieces related to the Persianate repertoire to renowned late medieval composers. Researchers working on the early song text collections more closely pointed to the considerable change Ottoman music repertoire underwent at the beginning of the seventeenth century. Apparently a shifted from a popular to a courtlier style occurred, while the Persianate repertoire regained significance and was perceived as old and authoritative. How this “revived” and established repertoire was transmitted in nineteenth-century music collections is still a pending and important research topic. This paper looks at three vocal pieces of the kâr genre that derived from the Ottoman Persianate repertoire and that was handed down in Hampartsum music collections. Based on Cantemir’s descriptions of the kâr, this paper will point to divergences in the transmission practices of the Persianate repertoire and suggest alternative readings based on historical musical and textual materials.