ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts covered in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explains the Mongolian film music, specifically from the Mongolian perspective, from the founding of the state film studio in 1936 to the aftermath of the Socialist era. It discusses the political motives and initiatives that drove the music and film industries in the twentieth century, the process of filmmaking and film composition in the Mongolian context and the cultural environment in which the film composers lived and worked. It discusses certain key composers, films and film scores, presents here as case studies. Then, the book explores how composers reconciled what they had learned at Soviet conservatoires with their traditional musical backgrounds. Mongolian film soundtracks of the Socialist era contain a rich variety of music genres, including traditional Mongolian music and modified versions thereof, and genres that were popular in the Soviet Union.
