Where does the music stand in Egyptian society?, and Is our musical heritage well documented?! Those essential questions are answered by Dr. Ehab Sabry in his new book "El Mosiqa Bain El Fan Wi El Fekr" (Music between Art and Thought).
During his seminar at the 52nd Cairo International Book Fair (CIBF), the author explained that the idea of setting a deep academic study and reference for modern musical theories in Egypt is influenced by his researcher papers in the field of music critique.
Next, he reviewed several significant Egyptian music references such as "Elm Egtemaa El Mosiqa" (The Sociological Approach of Music), and "Simat El Naqd El Mosiqy Fi Misr" (The Characteristics of Music Critique in Egypt), so this book gives more detailed information about the relationship between various musical forms and their philosophical dimension.
The author also explained that in the second quarter of the 20th century, Egyptian composers started to borrow European musical patterns and used them to compose folk-influenced compositions.
Regarding the sections of the book, the first chapter revolves around the identity of music in the orient and the west, followed by a review of the adapted musical works based on literary pieces and the concept of musical intertextuality.
Next, there is a section that introduces the most significant thinkers and experts such as Zain Nassar who widely contributed to documenting and collecting the history of folk Egyptian music.
Sabry said that he presented an academic critical reading for one of Nassar's studies and it is attached to the book.