EGYPT TAQÂSÎM AND LAYÂLÎ:
CAIRO TRADITION The melodic system peculiar to the Arabic-speaking peoples of the countries bordering on the Eastern and Southern shores of the Mediterranean is result of a long evolution. It derives from the adaptation by the Arab conquerors of the ancient Greek, Persian, and Egyptian systems, which gradually developed into a unified and highly original musical art. "Until the 13th century the theorists refer to Greek theories, but subsequently there arose a distinctly independent theory and an art, cultivated at the court of the Caliphs, which became increasingly refined and elaborate. Until the end of the 19th century this art continued to develop under the influence of fresh Persian and Byzantine elements, which had become more prominent owing to the Turkish domination" (D'Erlanger). There is in fact no essential difference between the theories underlying Turkish and Arabian music. There are, however, some very marked difference in the music of the Islamic world as found in Turkey, Iraq, Egypt or Tunisia. Unlike Indian music, which is very much older and where the terms of reference are based on the art of singing, the musical theory of the Arab world draws on instrumental music and on the observation deducted from it. The foundation of Arabian music is furnished by the maqâm, which are modal forms based on a great variety of scales. Although melodies with a fixed contour do occur, particularly in music of a some-what lighter kind, are music is essentially based on the taqâsîm, themes cast in an improvised form which instrumentalist unfolds and expands in a sequence of very elaborate styles and in free rhythmic patterns. In vocal music this kind of improvisation is called Layâlî. In the manner in which the vocal forms are developed, they resemble the structural outline followed in an instrumental piece. Since the beginning of this century, Egypt has played a major part in the revival of the classical music of the Arab world. The famous congress of Arabian music held in Cairo in 1932 represents a most significant landmark in the preservation and continuation of the traditional musical art of the Middle East. The principal instruments employed in Egypt are the qânûn, or psaltery, the 'ûd, or lute (the word "lute" comes from the Arabic "Al-'ud"), and the nây a vertical flute without mouth piece. The req is the tambourine, and the darabukka a single-headed earthenware drum. This recording begins with Layâlî, sung by Ibrahim El-Haggar and accompanied on the qânûn, in which the musicians develops the form of the mode, of the maqâm, in a series of improvisations which successively present the characteristic groups of notes. The mode is Bayâtî (the second, third, sixth and seventh degrees are minor). The Layâlî do not, properly speaking, have a text, but certain words are used to support the voice, such as "Beauty of the Night! Light of my Eyes!" The Layâlî are followed by Mawwâl in which the singer improvises, within the framework of the mode, the melodic form of a poem with the following purport: "I try to smile, although my heart is weeping. How could I but weep under such cruel tribulations, yet I must smile to conceal my tears. "A nây solo by Wahby Labib and an 'ûd solo by Gomâa Muhammad Ali provide examples of the improvisational technique known as taqâsîm (plural of taqâsîm). The mode is Bayâtî (cf. track 1). It is in the taqsîm that the Arabian musician's knowledge of the musical art, his creative abilities and imagination find their fullest expression. The nây and the 'ûd are the instruments which yield the greatest subtlety in variation and ornamentation. The examples here chosen, which are in the same mode, will enable the listener to compare the style of improvisation used in vocal music with that employed by players of wind and stringed instruments. Accompanied on the req by Muhammad el-Arabi, Sami Nussair develops taqsîm in the mode Farah-faza (minor third, minor and major seventh) on the qânûn, or psaltery, an instrument rather difficult to play. On the darabukka, a cylindrical earthen-ware drum with one skin, Muhammad el-Arabi performs several characteristic rhythmic patterns in the following order: Sama'î Thaqil (10/8), Dârij (3/4), Nawakht (7/8), Aksak (9/8), Murabbaâ' (13/4), Mukhammas (16/8), ending with a variation. The musicians, who are members of the Takht Ensembles of Cairo, also give an example of modal development in a fixed form, which enables the various instruments to play in consort. This is a composition called Sama'î Thaqîl (10/8). The recording was prepared with the collaboration of Mr. Ahmed Shafic Abû-Oaf, President of the conservatoire for Higher Studies in Arabic Music in Cairo. TRACK LISTINGS (01) [EGYPT] Layali & Mawwal [Ibrahim el-Haggar, Voz - Sami Nussair, Qanun] (02) [EGYPT] Taqsim Bayati [Wahbi Labib, Nay -Muhammad el-Arabi, Riqq] (03) [EGYPT] Samaai al-Aryan [Ensemble Takht Du Caire] (04) [EGYPT] Taqsim Bayati [Gomaa Muhammad Ali, Oud] (05) [EGYPT] Taqsim Farah-Faza [Sami Nussair, Qanun - Muhammad el-Arabi, Riqq] (06) [EGYPT] Darabukka [Muhammad el-Arabi] MP3 - 320 kbs: 120 MB | Booklet Scans Archives have 5% of the information for restoration MP3 320 kbs Part 1 <http://rapidshare.com/files/287705469/EgyCTTaqALMP.part1.rar> | Part 2 <http://rapidshare.com/files/287709620/EgyCTTaqALMP.part2.rar> --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Gugukluhayat" group. 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