a. oud taksim- solo instrumental improvisation on the Turkish lute, the oud.

b. hicaz peshrev- A classical intrumental (no lyrics/text) piece. "Hicaz" (sounds like hijaz) refers to the mode, or makam; so the piece is entittled: a peshrev in the mode hicaz. What types of instruments do you hear?

 

2. Arab Art Music

a. "Ana fi Intazarek", a song performed by the great Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum. This is an example of the long song form called "ughiniya" where many different styles of music are used by the composer and the performer, creating a large piece of music often spanning up to an hour. Many of the different "styles" used in these pieces were once separate traditions, such as taqasim (Turkish = taksim), instrumental pieces, and songs.

Listen how the audience reacts to her performance. When does she repeat lines? An Arab singer may repeat lines as many times as they want, depending on the reaction of the audience. This ecstatic interaction between the performer and audience is called "tarab". Near the end of this excerpt, Umm Kulthum improvises using some of the lines of poetry from the song. Obviously, the musicians have to be ready for anything!

b. "Ibnil Balad" (Boy of the Country), a piece composed by one of the greatest Egyptian composers Mohamed Abdel Wahab (1942), arranged and performed by Simon Shaheen.

This piece, inspired by urban dance music, exploits the tendency in Arab music to feature vivacious contrast. Four different rhythms are used and there are several colorful dialogues that occur between the orchestra and the solo instruments, the qanun, nay and violin. Listen for the incessant contrast that occurs between these instruments, rhythms, and tempos (tempi). Arab music LOVES contrast!

Mohamed Abdel Wahab (d. 1991), as well as being a master singer and 'ud player, was one of the most prolific composers in the Arab world. Simon Shaheen is one of the most respected Arab musicians in America, and his re-orchestration of Wahab's work is truly monumental.

Produced by Bill Laswell and Simon Shaheen 1990 Island Records (Axiom)

3. Persian Classical Music

a. Avaz and Chahar Mezrab (voice and ney). Persian classical music is usually performed in a "suite" of different pieces. The avaz and the chahar mezrab are two styles that are usually found in a "suite", or full blown performance. Notice how delicate the ornamentation is, and the timbral quality of the voice and ney (reed end-blown flute).

b. Mahur: zarbi and reng: Mahur refers to the mode, or dastgah, whereas zarbi and reng refer to types of pieces. This is played on the santur, the Persian hammered dulcimer (zither).