War and Music

Abstract

War and music have been intertwined since ancient times. Music propelled fighters into battle and signaled retreats, while soldiers' heroic deeds or sad deaths inspired composers. In many cases, a conflict stimulated the production of music for both amateurs and professionals, especially during the massive nationalist wars of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Wars have also stimulated musical exchanges with armies sharing tunes or adopting new instruments. And technology has dramatically changed how music can be conveyed—from being memorized, carried in songbooks, or played with instruments, to being reproduced on radio or compact discs.