Transcript Middle East
Music of the Middle East We will watch a BBC documentary called Breaking the Silence The music of the Middle East encompasses the musical systems of Iran (Persia), the Arab diaspora, and Turkey Each region shares five traditions similar to Western music Islamic cultural and musical values affect what is and is not considered music There are three prominent features that unite Middle Eastern musical culture 1. Vocal and compositional styles are derived from the recitation of the Holy Koran 2. Music creates a kind of ecstatic, emotional bond between performer and audience 3. The “suite,” or collection of individual pieces played together, is the major unifying compositional principle In the Middle East, music is generally considered an indulgence and therefore not good In the Middle East amateur musicians maintain a higher status than professionals In Western culture, improvised music has a tonal and structural framework Arabic music has maqam Ensemble music has a special kind of monophony called heterophony What are the differences between Middle Eastern and Indian ensemble textures? Islam is the most distinctive feature of the Middle East as a cultural area Religious ambivalence has not prohibited musical activity Perhaps the most obvious difference is the definition of “music,” which is very narrow On a sliding scale, between khandan and musiqi, where can we place different types of Western music, from church hymns to punk rock? Professional musicians are mostly specialists The scholarly study of music is admired Chanting of the Holy Koran, CD 1 track 4 There is a broad similarity between Iranian traditions and those of Arabic and Turkish areas There are numerous instruments common to Iranian music The tar is a heavy, longnecked lute with frets The kamancheh (spiked fiddle) The santour (hammered dulcimer) The violin (played in the Western fashion) What are the similarities and differences between the Middle Eastern chordophones and chordophones found elsewhere throughout the word? The ney (bamboo flute) The dombak or zarb (goblet-shaped drum) In Iran, learning classical music and learning to improvise are more or less synonymous What are some similarities between Middle Eastern and Indian music improvisation? Scales and arpeggios of Western music are similar to the radif Radif is the basic repertoire used as the foundation for composition and improvisation A typical Iranian performance ideally consists of five parts Chahar Mezrab in Mahour, performed on santour. Textbook CD1, track 5. An Avaz in Shur. Textbook CD1, track 7 Radif of Nour-Ali Boroumand CD 1 track 8 6 excerpts based on Daramad CD1 track 11 Although each version is individual, the essential characteristics of the daramad can be heard A performance in any maqam may modulate to another maqam Taqsim Nahawand CD1 track 10 Illustrations of Major Maqams CD1 track 6 Music of the dervishes is metric and ceremonial Popular music is typically a female singer accompanied by a small ensemble of instruments Some of these singers, like Umm Kulthum, went beyond the music halls Ya Zalimni CD1, track 9 Summary The Middle East encompasses a large, diverse geographical and cultural area Middle Eastern music generally is highly improvised and heterophonic Vocal and instrumental music is generally highly ornamented Vocal music predominates The primary instrument is the oud, a type of lute The most common musical form is the suite The best music is thought to inspire a trance-like, higher experience of life Maqam are used as the basis of all melodic creation There is a strict hierarchy of music and performers