Dimitrie Cantemir – primul muzician român de anvergură europeană. Reflectări şi recunoaşteri în cultura occidentală şi românească (II)
Dimitrie Cantemir – the first Romanian musician of European magnitude. Reflections and recognitions in Western and Romanian culture (II)

Summary/Abstract: This text analyzes the theoretical and creative dimensions of Dimitrie Cantemir’s musical activity, highlighting his fundamental role in the systematization of Ottoman music. His primary work, The Book of the Science of Music, is presented as a landmark document in which the Prince introduced an original alphabetical notation system (utilizing Arabic characters) to provide a theoretical framework for a tradition previously based solely on memory and practice. The text traces the efforts to recover this cultural treasure, beginning with Teodor Burada, the first Romanian researcher to transpose Cantemir’s compositions onto European staves (Guidonian notation). Subsequently, the extensive studies of Eugenia Popescu-Judetz clarified controversies regarding the number of his musical works, confirming that the theoretical treatise and the collection of melodies constitute a unified body of work. Additionally, the text mentions the contributions of modern scholars such as Owen Wright and Victor Ghilaș, who have deepened the analysis of the melodic modes (makam) and rhythmic cycles (usul). The conclusion emphasizes Cantemir’s status as a true polymath (spirit enciclopedist); he was not only a theorist and an inventor of acoustic measuring instruments (the sonometer) but also a respected composer and a recognized pedagogue who founded a music school in Constantinople. His musical legacy remains a cultural pillar that bridges Oriental tradition with European scientific rigor.

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