EN
The aim of this paper is to present a theme of Orientalism in European classical music. After Orient and Orientalism have been shortly defined, both in the social and the musical context, attempts are made to analyse how the Oriental ideology, defined by Edward Said, has affected the works of composers in various historical periods. These aspects that prove Said’s theory can be easily found in European classical music. Along with chronological review of the Oriental themes in European music what is briefly presented are the changes of Oriental musical language across the centuries, starting with the 17th century.