UNIT 5 SHORT ANSWER - MUNM 3113
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3113
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English
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Jan 9, 2024
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1.
What is modal improvisation? Is it primarily a compositional or a freely expressive form of performance?
a.
Modal improvisation is essentially musicians playing around a set of boundaries and rules that are given within a “mode” or “maqam”. Though many Middle Eastern pieces feel very free and improvised, it is not a “license
for the players to do whatever they want” (Miller & Shahriari, 2020, p. 232). The maqam gives a set scale, starting and ending notes, ornamentation options, pitches to use, and even melodic lines. Where this may sound free and expressive to one used to Western music, it is not completely free. They follow the strict maqam (though it can flow from one to another) which creates a free-sounding yet actually compositional in nature piece. In a way, it could be compared to drawing within a small box, making sure that you use the colors and shapes given, but you still have somewhat of a choice. Each of these modes create a different feel and mood when they are used and can be categorized within these. 2.
Because the Islamic Call to Prayer and Jewish biblical cantillation clearly have musical characteristics, why are they not considered “music” or “singing”?
a.
Both Islamic and Jewish beliefs hold the idea that music holds a certain amount of sensuality. For Islam specifically, ”Most branches… are suspicious of music, which they view as overly sensual” (Miller & Shahriari, 2020, p. 230). Though from a Western lens both the Call to Prayer and biblical cantillation could be seen as “music” or “musical”, this is not the case within the religions because of the view on music. It is instead known as “heightened speech”, referring to the quality of the voice speaking the lines that often have a varied pitch pattern and some sort of rhythmic quality. This is done specifically with religiously charged pieces because it is often thought that the words are more clearly understood if spoken in this way. They are not considered “music” or “singing” because of the cultural beliefs that the groups have in common. 3.
What are the key factors that make Persian classical music different from Arabic music?
a.
Although both Persian classical music and Arabic music hold similar modal systems, they are vastly different when looked at in depth. Persian music uses what is known as dastgah
(their modal system) which is made up of several smaller phrases that are strung together in written pieces known as gusheh
. Putting these together is how Persian pieces are created and performed by musicians. The various gusheh
vary from fixed compositions to
improvisational, though both are seen as rhythmically free. Persian music is commonly thought of as intimate as it is often performed in an intimate setting. Arabic music uses a different modal system, known as maqam. This system does not contain written pieces like Persian music but is orally passed down in phrases. It is very busy with the melody often getting mixed into the ornamentation and has an organized drumming system, often accompanying “belly dancing”, truly known as raqs sharqi
. The goal of Arabic music is “not so much to create clever structures as to bring listeners into a
state of ecstasy” (Miller & Shahriari, 2020, p. 242) as well as having a religious or spiritual intent. Often seen in these pieces are the ud and buzuq, showcasing the 24 pitches in an octave that Arabic music uses.
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