The Kazakh qyl-qobyz: Biography of an instrument, story of a nation

This dissertation addresses the ways in which the Kazakh two-stringed fiddle qyl-qobyz has represented a microcosm of the Kazakhs' historical experience as its function and reception have fluctuated in sync with the ebb and flow of Kazakh traditional culture through several stages of modernization and shifting political ideologies. My discussions trace the historical experience of the Kazakh nation through three successive stages of relative political autonomy and subjugation, as well as the cultural changes that have accompanied these developments. This historical timeline may be divided roughly between pre-Soviet (chapter 4), Soviet (chapter 5) and post-Soviet (chapter 6) periods. By tracing the historical progression of this process, we can observe how changes to the physical form, social function, pedagogy, and musical repertoire of the qyl-qobyz have encapsulated larger patterns of cultural change among Kazakhs during two successive periods of colonization and, most recently, independence.;In addition, the qyl-qobyz represents an case study of how a musical instrument can effectively convey meaning—in this case, meaning that informs Kazakhs' understanding of their history and development as a discrete ethnic group. This connection is interrogated in terms of the emotional, mystical, national, and historical meanings that the qyl-qobyz continues to convey to present-day listeners. Though this discussion, I demonstrate how these meanings not only inform individual responses to the instrument, but also help to mobilize state-sponsored Kazakh nation-building efforts.