This book examines the phenomenon of 'Orientalism' during the 19th and early 20th centuries, focusing on its ramifications in musical terms. It discusses the aesthetic/philosophical,
political/geographic, literary and historical forces at work during the period, and shows these factors to have influenced musicians and other creative artists in their choice of 'Oriental'
subject matter. It establishes the role and meaning of the 'Oriental' vogue within the context of the times. 'Oriental' inspiration is argued to have led to novel developments in the art of
orchestration, using reference to many large-scale orchestral and operatic works. The study is a valuable contribution in both understanding the development of the modern symphone orchestra, as
well as the compositional approaches made by the many composers who have produced some of the finest works in the orchestral repertoire.
