Music of the Middle East
MUSI 3721Y
University of Lethbridge, Calgary Campus
John 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 Iran
Faromarz Payvar, Santour
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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)
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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
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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 Improvisation
Based on the Daramad of Chahargah
• Santour
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Strong kreeshmeh rhythm
Appears three times in a row
Deliberate tempo
Dramatic pause
• Kamacheh
• Metric
• Begins slow, lyrical
• Violin
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Non-metric
Low-pitched
Deliberated
Lots of rubato (robbing the time) and ornamentation
Pizzicato (lightly plucked notes)
Six Excerpts of Improvisation
Based on the Daramad of Chahargah
• Violin
• Non-metric
• Similar to previous improv
• Double stops at 2:15 and 2:20
• Setar
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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?