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Doublereed Archive - Posting 000005.txt from 2004/07
From: Jennifer I.Paull <info@-----.com>
Subj: [DR-L] Nomenclatures and Caricatures
Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 03:05:00 -0400
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On Friday, July 2, 2004, at 12:17 am, scaplan@-----.edu wrote:
> Sameer--I enjoyed hearing your perspective on Western musicians and
> dancers
> recreating middle eastern art. However in the West the word "quarter
> note"
> refers to a rhythmic value.
Dear Stephen,
This is only in American nomenclature which is recent to others and not
universal.
> What you are referring to we call "microtones"
Why don't you say "microsteps"?
> or a quarter step--indicating something smaller than a half-step.
Again. The word "step" belongs to the North Americas.
I'm certain we all understood what Sameer expressed so eloquently ,
One note is divided in to semi-tones to "English" ears, as only feet
take
"steps" :-)
You see Sameer, music is what you feel - words are totally unimportant
and differ from language to another. What Stephen calls a "quarter note"
is called a "crotchet" by those who are English speaking but not
American
- British, Australian, New Zealand, South Africa etc etc. The French
even
call it a "black"- "la noire". Naturally for them, the minim (which is
called
a half note in the USA) is called a "white" - "la blache".
> Since the
> oboe and bassoon can recreate quarter steps so easily with the
> embouchure,
> there are many recent Western examples of music imitating this sound,
> including Corigliano's oboe concerto.
Jazz is also an idiom in which you can hear smaller divisions of the
tone
than the semitone. Indian Art Music (I HATE the term "classical MUSIC"
because it is wrong, relating only to a period of time in Western
culture)
and the cultivated Indian ear clearly distinguish 8 divisions of the
tone. I
find that truly amazing.
I agree with you, Sameer that a western imitation is often so far from
your
reality as to be a caricature. There was a fashion at the end of the
19th
Century and early 20th Century for such things and you can find an
example on Brenda Schuman-Post's "Oboes of the World" ("Escales" for
oboe and piano by Jacques Ibert (1924).
However, as you say, the European imitation is simply that, no matter
how many fairy tales we might care to read about "flying carpets". It is
not something any composer would try to do today, for example.
Such imitations would be considered simplistic as travel and technology
have made the reality of real Arabian music obtainable by and accessible
to everyone. Living in Central Europe, I receive TV programmes with
the real thing performed by Arabian musicians.
Authentic Arabian music does not have western harmony, scales or many
decorative details you employ; the subdivisions of the tone being but
one
colour upon your palette of expression. The art of piebroch has its
similar
parallel in your culture which has its own, rich lacework of
ornamentation.
Again, there are many differences between countries, and Persia is not
an Arab land. Its music is different. Westerners tend to group
everything
from one region together.
Art Music from all across India is sublime and very humbling. One
realises
just how much one does not know and has not learned.
I try to unravel some differences in naming in this article;
http://www.mvdaily.com/articles/2002/01/muslang1.htm
Brenda Schuman-Post's incredible CD is a must. She breaks every barrier
known to music and then again some. http://oboesoftheworld.com
Best wishes,
Jennifer
------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------
Jennifer I. Paull, Ph.D.
President
Amoris International
http://www.amoris.com
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