Posted on December 3rd, 2008 by wiseman
This begins with a chordophone and then is joined by a membranophone and then an idiophone. The idiophone plays the lead role because it is the most prominent of the instruments. The tempo of this music is neither fast nor slow thus giving it a very soothing effect. It is metrical and sounds to me like a polyrhythm. The instruments interlock so beautifully and the piece has a transparent texture. It seems that there is an antiphony between two aerophones. This piece is very layered, has hocketing and is linear.
This undoubtedly qualifies to be called music given that it is humanly organized sound. Moreover, it is recognized as music and this is evidenced by the applause received after the performance. Even though it was played at a concert, this music has a very sobering effect and makes one very reflective.
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Filed under: Kachapari
Posted on November 26th, 2008 by wiseman
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Posted on November 16th, 2008 by wiseman
This piece is a combination of aerophones and membranophones. It plays in a fairly fast tempo and it is also metrical. The aerophones and membranophones interlock and form a homophony. The piece is also cyclical and linear, and increases tempo towards the end. This is music because the sounds are organized and there is a clear intention for this to be music. Given the nature of this piece, it goes without question that it is meant for a festival or some merry occasion.
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Posted on November 10th, 2008 by wiseman
The “Arrangement of folk instruments” piece has a very fast tempo. The sounds heard, mainly aerophones and idiophones, combine to form a metrical and interlocking piece. It is also polyrhythmic and polyphonic. Hocketing is also present in this piece. The tempo of the music slows down abruptly and then picks up again as the piece goes on.
“Krivo Plovdivsko Horo” begins on a high scale in a fast tempo and while maintaining the tempo, it moves to a lower scale. The scales keep moving up and down. There is interlocking and hocketing and it also sounds like an aerophone has a lead role in this piece.
Based on the human sounds in the background and the nature of the piece, this music sounds like one that will be played at a festival or some merry occasion. There is no doubt as to whether or not this will qualify as music because it is very organized and is intended by the producers to be music.
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Filed under: Bulgarian, Krivo Plovdivsko Horo
Posted on October 26th, 2008 by wiseman
In the first piece, I heard an idiophone and an instrument with a rattling sound playing at a fast tempo. It is interlocked with men singing and women joining in briefly at certain intervals. The women make very high-pitched sounds. This piece is metrical, cyclical and polyrhythmic. I will call this music because it is organized sound and the activities of the people show that they perceive it as such. This music seems to be taking place in an active setting and I will guess it’s at a ritual performance or some festive occasion.
The second piece is clearly music. It is melodic and very structured. It is also metrical and cyclical. It also has an open form. The music generated by the idiophone is polyrhythmic and polyphonic. There seems to be a mild rattling sound in the background.
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Filed under: mbira, nhemamusasa, Shona
Posted on October 10th, 2008 by wiseman
One conspicuous difference between the Balinese “gamelan beleganjur” and the other Indonesian gong ensembles is that all its instruments are portable. It is also played in mainly formal settings and involves more than ten people. The “talempong” for instance is played both at home and in ceremonies, is more informal and involves about five people. Even though Javanese “gamelan” is usually played in formal settings as well, it is usually played in courts. “Gamelan beleganjur” like the other ensembles, is played during various occasions for various purposes including entertainment, rituals and ceremonies. All the gong ensembles are attributed some spiritual power. The “gamelan beleganjur” is unique in that it is the only one which is believed to drive away evil spirits and this belief is very pronounced during cremation rituals.
Balinese “gamelan beleganjur” is relatively louder than the other Indonesian gong ensembles. It has a prominent metallic rattling sound that chimes in intermittently. It also has a generally fast tempo. Unlike the others, this music changes tempo and volume dramatically. Another feature that distinguishes it from the other ensembles is its use of cymbals. The cymbals always play in a rhythmic pattern. Small “kendhangs” (drums) are also very prominent in this music. The “gamelan beleganjur” is also based on an eight-beat cycle unlike the others. In addition, “gamelan beleganjur” is characterized by “on-beat” and “off-beat” patterns. These patterns are absent from the other gong ensembles. It also features only men whereas the “talempong” for instance, does feature both sexes though mainly women.
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Filed under: Balinese gamelan beleganjur
Posted on October 5th, 2008 by wiseman
The ‘Bubaran Kembang Pacar’ is idiophonic and has a slow and steady tempo. I am tempted to classify it as polyrhythmic because someone seems to be playing a relatively fast rhythm while another plays a much slower rhythm. It has a soft sound and it is both cyclical and metrical. The second example of this piece is monophonic and also includes what sounded like a corpophone to me.
Unlike ‘Bubaran Kembang Pacar’, ‘Ladrang Wilujeng’ begins with and includes an aerophone. Besides an idiophone, it is accompanied by the voice of a singing girl. The tempo of this piece is relatively faster than the ‘Bubaran Kembang Pacar’ and it is also louder. It is polyrhythmic and is characterised by a beautiful interlocking of the singing voice and the instruments. There is also a call and response in this piece which is clearly absent from the first piece. The rhythm of the instruments is cyclical and the singing voices move at a different tempo from that of the instruments.
For commenters, what were your initial reactions to the above pieces? Did it evoke any special feelings? What is your general impression of these pieces? Will you classify the ‘Bubaran Kembang Pacar’ as a heterophone or homophone or none of the two?
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Posted on September 21st, 2008 by wiseman
The “Sidi” is metrical and begins as an idiophone with regular rhythm. Then a membranophone joins in with a regular beat. There is also an aerophone which seems to be the “lead” sound. Together, they form a rich polyrhythmic blend.
The “Urang Halaban”, like the “Sidi”, is also metrical, polyrhythmic and an idiophone. It sounds like two of the same kind of instrument are played together to create a dense texture. It is also cyclical.
The “Minangkabau” is metrical and both an idiophone and a membranophone.
As far as social context is concerned, all I can think of is that they will be played at a gathering. For the “Minangkabau”, it might be well-suited for a festive occasion.
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Filed under: sidi
Posted on September 17th, 2008 by wiseman
Even though Muslims regard the reading of the Qu’ran as sacred and therefore wouldn’t classify “the call to prayer” as music, it goes without questioning that these pieces are musical. In the first example, the voice of the azan ‘flows’ rather than ‘breaks’ as will happen if he were talking. This piece has a regular scale that is marked throughout but especially from 02:50. It is also cyclical and is mainly comprised of ostinatos.
The second example, “Multiple azan”, also sounds musical to me. It is very much like the first one only there are now multiple voices. The beginning part sounds like a diaphony.
The third example begins with a drone that crescendoes until somewhere in 0:45 where it changes to a diaphony. A man’s voice chimes in richly and then towards the end, it becomes an antiphony of instruments that sound like a piano and a cymbal.
I consider these three examples music because even without realizing it, Muslims admire a sweetly ‘read’ azan. One of the desired characteristics of a muezzin is that he should have a melodious voice. This is one characteristic of singers that make their songs so pleasant. In all the examples, I never heard an azan being called out in a raspy voice. Those who make the calls to prayer have really good voices. Subconsciously, the azan is supposed to sound pleasant to the ears and that is a striking characteristic of music.
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Filed under: azan, call to prayer, muezzin, muslim
Posted on September 10th, 2008 by wiseman
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Filed under: defining music, ethnomusicology, icons, index
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