The Musical Performance Presented for Sultan Abdülaziz at the Crystal Palace - As an Example Using Music as a Diplomatic Tool

There are many examples in music history of using music as a political and diplomatic tool.  Governments and monarchs used music for getting positive diplomatic results and similar purposes. This article first aims to give an elaborative account of one such case. The case is a musical event organized in Crystal Palace for the imperial guest, Sultan Abdulaziz. The article also gives details about Sultan Abdulaziz, his musical vision, and his travel around Europe, as well as the Crystal Palace as the venue of the event. Several aspects of the event – historical, musical, and political, will be taken into consideration. The conclusion, while analyzing the findings, provides a comparative examination of similar examples about using music as political and diplomatic apparatus in both countries along their own history.