MofA Week 2: The history of Arab music & the construction of “Arab music” ("al-musiqa al-`arabiyya")

Some concepts we've introduced so far...

• oral tradition vs written tradition, mnemonics of scripts
• Hornbostel-Sachs system for classifying musical instruments
• concept of frequency ratios and musical intervals (e.g. an octave is 2:1)
• 'Microtones', 'quartertones' (see www.maqamworld.com), equal temperament, frequency ratios
• emic/etic distinction
• ethnocentrism
• Orientalism
• 'Arab' (people, music)

To do Thursday

• Review: classes of instruments, concept of maqam
• Ear training with the nay: Rast.
• Continue critical introduction: "What is ethnomusicology of the Arab world?" (what is the Arab world? who is an Arab? what is Arab music?...)
• Your turn: empirical investigations regarding "Arab music" (audio and video recordings)
• "Drop the needle" test - The Berlin Phonogramm-Archiv, 1900-2000 & ethnomusicology of the Arab world
• Role of Arab nationalism (since 19th c) in formulating "Arab music" as "al-musiqa al-arabiyya"
• Some historical overview...
  • Islamicate timelines and periods
  • The history of Islamicate music (as presented by Touma)
• What is an SC paper? - ex: Touma (critical reading & analysis, together...)
• Film: Umm Kulthum plays the role of the famous Abbasid-era qayna, Dananeer

Typology

Typology of Music of the Arab World

Films

• Umm Kulthum in Dananeer. Songs from the film: [1][2][3][4]
• An Art of Living (on Ziryab in Cordoba)