Section I. Musical culture in the early Islamic courts. Chapter 1. Music and musicians ; Chapter 2. Musicianship and performance ; Chapter 3. Patronage -- Section II. Representations of musicianship and identity. Chapter 4. Literary performance of music and reading musical identity ; Chapter 5.Slavery and gender ; Chapter 6. Ethnos and gens -- Section III. Diversions of pleasure Chapter 7. Discomfort and censure ; Chapter 8. "Sama" and practice ; Chapter 9. The politics of listening