Musical Exoticism in the Long Nineteenth Century (1789-1918)

Although the lure of exoticism is not specific to the nineteenth century, it took on a new dimension in the Romantic period with the development of modes of transport, the intensification of international exchanges, and colonial conquests. Between fantasy and rejection, ridicule and idealisation, the distant Other proved to be a major subject of inspiration both in instrumental music and on the operatic stage. The aim of this international conference is to grasp the scale of this phenomenon and the forms it took.