Dimitrie Cantemir
Edvar — prince, scholar, and Ottoman music notator
A Moldavian prince who became one of the most important figures in Ottoman musical history. His notation system preserved over 350 Ottoman compositions that would otherwise be lost.
Key works
- Edvar (Book of Musical Science)~1700— Music theory treatise preserving 350+ Ottoman compositions in notation
- History of the Growth and Decay of the Ottoman Empire~1716— The first scholarly history of the Ottomans by an insider