ABSTRACT
Europe, though classified as one of the world's seven continents, is geographically a peninsula on the western end of the vast Eurasian landmass. The music of Europe has typically been understood as falling into three large categories: folk, classical, and popular. Created by intellectuals, these categories began as markers of social class as much as musical style. Despite the daunting political problems created by ethnic, linguistic, and religious differences, many factors can be cited in arguing for the cultural—and musical—unity of Europe. The plucked zithers of Northern Europe and the double-reed oboes of southern Europe unify territories of great linguistic and cultural diversity. Modern manufactured instruments, especially the accordion and the violin, give the sound of European traditional music a similar timbre nearly everywhere. At the level of musical style, each country, region, and village often seems anxious to assert its uniqueness, partly the result of nationalistic ideologies, but also of real experiences.
