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Music of the Middle EastMUSI 3721YUniversity of Lethbridge, Calgary CampusJohn Anderson
Chanting or Singing of the Holy Koran
• In formal situations is always sung
• Always in Arabic• Non-metric• No instrumental
accompaniment• The more a performance
is like the Koran’s actual sound, structure and social context, the more acceptable, and less likely considered “music” (musiqi)
Chahar Mezrab in Mahour (Excerpt) from IranFaromarz Payvar, Santour
• Steady meter• Rhythmic predictability• Repeated patterns• Energetic intro on bass
strings establishes regular beat
Illustrations of Major Maqams
• Includes a number of the most important Arabic maqams
• Telling them apart is not easy for the uninitiated listener
• Rast sounds slightly out of tune to Western ears
• Hijazkar sounds sad and exotic to Westerners
• Saba sounds compressed• Sika sounds ambiguous• Nahawand comparable
to a Western minor scale
Examples of Metric, Non-Metric and Mixed Meters in Music
• Free rhythm• Iranian Radif of Nour-Ali Boroumand (except)
• Sections with regular beat, but no overall meter• Arabic Taqsim Nahwawand
• Some metric structure• Arabic Ya Zalmni (except)
• Repeated rhythmic patterns• Iranian Improvisation on Daramad of Chahargah (0:00-
0:27)• Regular, driving rhythm• Iranian Chahar Mezrab in Mahour (excerpt)
Taqsim in the Mawam of Nahawand
• Begins in the lower range
• Moderate tempo• Gradually moves higher• Moves down to a
characteristic closing• Pauses• Two brief notes used to
transition• Some musical gestures
repeated from opening• But as a whole pitched
higher• Moves more rapidly• Jumps between high and
low notes more quickly
Six Excerpts of ImprovisationBased on the Daramad of Chahargah
• Santour• Strong kreeshmeh rhythm• Appears three times in a row• Deliberate tempo• Dramatic pause
• Kamacheh• Metric• Begins slow, lyrical
• Violin• Non-metric• Low-pitched• Deliberated• Lots of rubato (robbing the time) and ornamentation• Pizzicato (lightly plucked notes)
Six Excerpts of ImprovisationBased on the Daramad of Chahargah
• Violin• Non-metric• Similar to previous improv• Double stops at 2:15 and 2:20
• Setar• Metric• Chahar, mezrab style• Changeable mood• Moves to slow, lyrical style• Changes to rapid Chahar mezrab
• Setar• Kereshmeh rhythm at 4:00 and 4:12• Strong rhythms emphasized
Ya zalimni (excerpt)
• Sung by Umm Kulthum• Gained prominence
after WWII• Contradicted Islamic
ambivalence toward music in general and women in particular
• Orchestral accompaniment
• Voice paralleled by string section
• Flute and Middle Eastern percussion
• Fades in on first verse• Informal call and
response between singer and audience
Discussion Questions
• On a sliding scale, as between khandan and musiqi, where can we place different types of North American music, from church hymns to punk rock?
• What are some similarities between Middle Eastern and Indian music improvisation?
• What are the differences between Middle Eastern and Indian ensemble textures?
Discussion Questions
• What are similarities and differences between Middle Eastern chordophones and chordophones found elsewhere throughout the world?
• How can Middle Eastern music improvisation be compared to jazz or blues?
• What is the commonality of beliefs between Christianity, Hinduism and Islam, concerning the origin of their vocal and instrumental music?