Making the Great Book of Songs: Compilation and the Author's Craft in Abû I-Faraj al-Isbahânî's Kitâb al-aghânî

This Is The First Systematic Literary Study Of One Of The Masterpieces Of Classical Arabic Literature, The Fourth/tenth Century Kitâb Al-aghânî (the Book Of Songs) By Abû I-faraj Al-isbahânî. Until Now The Twenty-four Volume Book Of Songs Has Been Regarded As A Rather Chaotic But Priceless Mine Of Information About Classical Arabic Music, Literature And Culture. This Book Approaches It As A Work Of Literature In Its Own Right, With Its Own Internal Logic And Coherence. The Study Also Consistently Integrates The Musical Component Into The Analysis And Proposes A Reading Of The Work In Which Individual Anecdotes And Poems Are Related To The Wider Context, Enhancing Their Meaning.