Songs of an Infatuated Muezzin, Op. 42 by Karol Szymanowski

While an International Exposition in Paris in 1889 stimulated the interest in exoticism among French composers such as Debussy and Ravel, Szymanowski's interest in the "exotic" was inspired by the culture and history of Italy and North Africa. Songs of an Infatuated Muezzin was written in 1918 during the period when the composer's interest in Islamic culture peaked. The texts portray the fantasy of a Muslim holy man, the muezzin, whose main duty is to lead the call for the prayers in worship. In Songs of an Infatuated Muezzin, his praise for Allah transforms into praise for the nameless "beloved," who deludes him and disappears without actually playing a role in the cycle. Within the frame of a traditional European song style, Szymanowski painted the Muslim-inspired exotic texts with his original, colorful sound that is reminiscent of authentic Islamic music. By introducing the International Phonetic Alphabet and word-for-word translation to the Polish texts, as well as musical analysis and performance suggestions, this book is intended to be a practical performance guide for both singers and pianists of this rarely-performed, yet worthwhile, song cycle.