Music of the Middle East

1. Music of the Middle East MUSI 3721Y University of Lethbridge, Calgary Campus John Anderson

2. 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)

3. Chahar Mezrab in Mahour (Excerpt) from IranFaromarz Payvar, Santour • Steady meter • Rhythmic predictability • Repeated patterns • Energetic intro on bass strings establishes regular beat

4. 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

5. 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)

6. 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

7. 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)

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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?

11. 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?