
The Hundred Thousand Fools of God
Musical Travels in Central Asia (and Queens, New York)
Theodore Levin(Author)
Indiana University Press
Published on 1. January 1997
Book
Hardback
384 pages
978-0-253-33206-6 (ISBN)
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Description
"The Hundred Thousand Fools of God" assembles a living musical and ethnographic map by highlighting the fate of traditions, beliefs, and social relationships in Muslim and Jewish Central Asian cultures during and after seventy years of Soviet rule. Theodore Levin evokes the spectacular physical and human geography of the area and weaves a rich ethnography of the life styles, values, and art of the musical performers. Photographs, maps, and an accompanying CD (featuring 24 on-site recordings) make "The Hundred Thousand Fools of God" a unique reading and listening experience. Theodore Levin is Associate Professor of Music at Dartmouth College. He began conducting musical and ethnographic research in Uzbekistan in 1978. His recordings of music from Central Asia and other parts of the former Soviet Union appear on Smithsonian Folkways, Nonesuch, Ocora, and other labels.
Reviews / Votes
"This erudite, absorbing volume chronicles the travels of ethnomusicologist Theodore Levin through urban and rural Transoxania ... He writes in evocative, imaginative, personalized prose that vividly captures the flavor of his everyday experiences, providing plush visual detail, trenchant character profiles, attention to perplexing local hospitality codes and the shaping hand of gender, throughout." Slavic Review "... extremely informative, using music as a platform for a much wider discussion of cultural and political issues." Times Literary Supplement, London "The subject is music, but Levin uses it to cast a wider light, revealing places of considerable sorrow long hidden in the shadows of Soviet power, and to create a travelogue with wide potential appeal... Candor about his own uncertainties and personal struggles helps make this a personal as well as a scholarly adventure." Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Not to be missed by those interested in music and world culture ... " Library Journal "... may be destined to become the definitive work on the music of this newly accessed region." Dirty LinenMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Bloomington, IN
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
Illustrations, maps, ports.
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 160 mm
Weight
751 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-253-33206-6 (9780253332066)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
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New editions

Theodore Levin
The Hundred Thousand Fools of God
Musical Travels in Central Asia (and Queens, New York)
Book
03/1999
Indiana University Press
€28.46
Article is exhausted; no reprint