Music of the Arabian Peninsula presents and evaluates the traditional music of Saudi Arabia and her Gulf neighbors, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar. Because of the large physical size of the Arabian Peninsula, diverse environments, and the subsequent regional differences, the volume is divided into geographic sections. The material is both musicological and ethnomusicological in scope, and the content is arranged around musical genres and includes a discussion of musical elements and characteristics, instrumentation, composers/performers, texts, and performance perspectives. It also addresses associated customs (e.g. ritual, dance, dress) and the contextual role of the music within the greater culture and regional heritage.
This study provides pioneering insight into this important, largely uncharted area, including the musical lives of Arabian women, and offers a much-needed clear general classification and codification structure for music of the Arabian Peninsula.