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Analysis of Taqasim Nahawand Played on Oud by Salib el Qatrib

The course: Improvisation in Arabic music, dr. Taiseer Elias, Academy of Music, Jerusalem, 2009/10 Paper by: Marina Toshich

Aim of this paper is to analyze recording of "Taqasim Nahawand", recorded by BAIDAPHON company in late 20' or early 30' of the last century, by Saliba el Qatrib. The recording is 78 rpm record, record number: B 099101.

Analysis of Taqasim Nahawand Played on Oud by Salib el Qatrib

The name of the piece, "Taqasim Nahawand" means musical improvisation in minor scale. "Taqasim" is oriental improvisation, "Nahawand" ( maqam nahawand oriental scale) is, roughly said, parallel to western minor scale. Usually, the nahawand scale's tonic (karar) is DO. In this recording, the tonic (karar) is RE, so the artist plays in "RE minor". Sometimes, the pitch, on old recordings changes, due to recording & technical conditions. It is possible that the original piece was in Nahawand DO. For this case, I made comparation between two Saliba el Qatrib's recordings. The other recording of Saliba al Qatrib, recorded for the same company BAIDAPHON in approximately same time, called "Longa Hijaz Kar" by Turkish composer Sabuh Efendi, recording no. B 099097, has also tonic (karar) RE. Hijaz Kar maqam scale, in Arabic tuning, always has tonic (karar) DO. So, the conclusion is either the pitch changed due to recording, either the musician chose to play this composition on "RE" as it would sound in Turkish style. Other (less probable) is possibility is that the oud was tuned one tone higher. Possibility that he played the piece in RE is also very probable. One of the speculations pro RE minor is that usually, Arabic oud player, when performing "taqasim nahawand on DO", uses very popular musical figure, (especially in Saliba el Qatribs period & style) called "Jawab - Karar". In this very attractive musical figure, oud player plays opened high DO string (jawab) between every lower notes (karar) to produce special rich effect of tone DO being heard all the time, almost as a drone. If the taqasim are in RE (in standard Arabic tuning), this characteristic figure is not possible due to technical limitations. In this taqasim performance, Saliba el Qatrib does not use jawab - karar. I also tried to listen for the sound of open or closed oud strings in order to determinate what was the original pitch, but the recording quality did not allow it.
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There are some other, rare recordings of Saliba el Qatrib's oud playing, but they were not relevant for comparing with Taqasim Nahawand, because the pitch on those recordings vary (for example taqasim rast - tonic #DO, taqasim kurd tonic #sol, etc) and the recordings were not made at the same time, the same company , or in the same conditions.

Two transcriptions attached at the end of the paper are identical, just that one is in DO minor and the second in transposed to RE minor. The duration of notes, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16 are not absolute, due to ad lib. performing of the taqasim. It is also crucial to listen to the recorded taqasim parallel to looking to the sheet music, because the complete feel of this special musical performance cannot be captured just on written sheet. For closure explanation, in a few points, the Arabic notes names are used.

1. The taqasim starts with expanded ascending arpeggio on RE minor: re,


fa, la, RE - first measure. At the end of the arpeggio is a 2 sec brake. The melodic line descend until the lover LA (oshairan) (dominant -ramaz) note. The artist repeats the first ascending arpeggio on re minor: re, fa, la, RE and the following phrase is descending scale from the high octave to dominant LA (oshairan - low la string), and the melody line stops on RE. The note RE is repeated numerous times in order to give a feel of tonic (karar) of the given maqam. (from measure 1 to 12). This yet, is not an end of the first part or introduction to the maqam.

Although, the Saliba Qatrib's oud playing style is very traditional, he starts his taqasim in very individual way. Usually, taqasim performance starts on tonic, or with short sentence in the first tetracord that leads to tonic, where the performer makes a pause. Then, the performer "slowly" builds his improvisation, without immediate proceeding to higher notes, or higher octave. Here, the artist in the first sentence glide with arpeggio through all the scale, and before reaching the first "station" on karar, he already uses high octave, actually, the highest notes in the piece.

In his other recording of Taqasim & Samai Bayat, he treats taqasim bayat in wary traditional and excepted way of building the improvisation. In Taqasim nahawand he shows his artistic individuality and almost western character of the this maqam. Also the tempo of the beginning of this piece is a bit fast.

2. After the karar in the measure 12-13 he makes a quick virtuoso


ascending sentence (sequences) and in measure 15 - 17 he closes the first part with "qafla". Qafla is characteristic musical closure. - This is the end of the introduction with the given maqam. This part lasts about 40 sec. At the end of this part is a longer brake - 4-5 seconds.

Salib el Qatrib's style shows strong and precise risha (the plectrum), with a little vibrato of the left hand. Most of the notes are plucked. Just in the measure 16-17 has a few "hammered", not plucked notes at the end of the sentence. In the measure no. 3, he uses glissando to reach LA.

3. In the second part, he ascends to the higher octave of the same maqam.
The tempo increases a bit and the notes are shorter. At 51. sec. there is a short brake that giver a transparency to the music. In the measure no 26 and 27 he uses chromatic notes and SI "quarter" tone. This part ends in measure no28. on MI "quarter" tone. From the measure 26 to 30 he makes a few alterations, and there is a short feeling of maqam saba that turns to nahawand in the measure no.31 (1:20 min) and proceed to virtuoso part that ascend and descend on the scale and ends in the measure 39 with a long brake of 5,5 sec (1:38 min).

4.

In the measure no. 40 starts fast virtuoso passage with no appoggiaturas, but clear fast notes that after the pause in the measure 43, descend from the high do to low #do ascends again and ends on high RE. At the end of this sentence there is additional pause of 2 sec. in the measure no45. In the measure 47, there is long glissando to high la and descending line of sequences till the la-huseini. Until the measure no 55, where th melody line descends to la - oshiran, he artist adds alterations, but it is
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difficult to talk about modulation because of non defined "new" karar. In the measure no. 55 - 57 the melody again closes on tonic re. In the measure 58, there is descending sequences line - qafla, that closes in the measure 61 with the feeling of bayat(FA, MI half flat, RE ).

5.

After the long pause of 4 sec. there is a line that sounds as a completely new opening, with repeating of the note LA. The playing is forte. The artist proceeds with fast notes close to LA, and end the sentence on SOL that is dominant - ramaz of Ajam do, where the artist leads the melody. The modulation to Ajam is short, to the measure no. 71, where the note SI is flat again. In the measure no. 74 there is long ascending line, the ful scale form re (duka) to re (muhhyer), and short qafla closes the taqasim on the tonic.

Ornamentation
- In Taqasim Nahawand , Saliba el Qatrib brings traditional oud playing, with strong, clean risha and with not a lot of small ornaments. The ornaments hammered notes, without plucking are very rare. Tremolo is not used. Vibrato is also used modestly - not a lot, but there are a few very beautiful ascending glissandos in measures: - no, 4, from notes mi(buslik) to la (huseini), - no. 22-23, from la(huseini) to re(muhayyer) - no. 46 -47 from re(muhayyer) to high la

Long melodic lines based on descending and ascending scale Long melodic lines based on descending and ascending scale is very characteristic musical figure of Saliba el Qatrib, as well as arpeggios. Such a passages are also very difficult technically, and they are played in measures: - no. 1 - arpeggio on re minor - no 5. - arpeggio on re minor - repetition from the first measure - no. 9,10, 11 - descending fast scale from highest do to low la (oshairan) - no. 12,13 - ascending sequences based on full scale.

- no. 33,34 - repetition of the line from the measures - no. 12,13 ascending sequences based on full scale. - no. 38 - ascending line based on full scale. - no. 43,44, 45 repetition from the measure - no. 9,10, 11 - descending fast scale from highest do to low #do (zarkula), with continuation in ascending scale to the high fa (mahuran). - no.74 - ascending line based on full scale, followed by the closure of the taqasim with qafla. Those figures are technically very demanding and in spite of being traditional oud player with hard risha, Saliba el Qatrib is oud virtuoso. His interpretation of Samai Bayat el Arian - (not connected with Taqasim Nahawand) is known as most virtuosic performances of this popular samai. The combination of strong & hard risha and presto clear passages is unique quality of Saliba el Qatribs performance.

The direction on melody lines


Rarely, the Arabic musician will build his taqasim in a way as Saliba el Qatrib. It needs a lot of artistic touch, that already in the first sentence of the taqasim, oud player playes through 1st and 2nd thetracord, and even ascends to the highest note in the composition. Usually, the player slowly proceeds, first in the 1st tetrachord, than to 2nd and just in the advanced part of improvisation to the higher notes. Highest note is already in the measure no. 9. But still, in spite of the wide range of played notes, in the first part there is a feeling of concentration on the tonic - karar and lower tetrachord , because the player makes a stops at la (oshiaran) in the measure no. 7 and a long stop on re (duka) in the measure 11,12. In the first part of the taqasim, melody lines are always ascending and descending, and not concentrated in a narrow space. But, in the measure no. 23-27, melodic line is narrow concentrated around note si and si half flat. In this change of the character of the played line, the artist shows different feel than in maqam nahawand, also in notes and also in dense ( )way of playing.

Tempo & Dynamics


Tempo of playing stays very steady all the time. There are no groups of long notes or a lot of brakes. Usually, the notes are short, fast and clear. The dynamics are very modest. There are almost no dynamics changes but in the last part, in the measure no. 62, where the artist plays forte. All the rest is played Mezzo-forte.

Sources & Bibliography: 1* (about Baidaphon records and Saliba el Qatribs biography) http://www.songster.de/dosen/b/baidaphon/index.htm All the other parts, including the transcription are originally made by me.

The short notes about Saliba el Qatrib and Baidaphon:

Saliba al-Qatrib (1904-1994) was an Arab oud player, composer and singer, born in Lebanon and active as a musician in the middle of the last century. He was influenced by Zakaria Ahmad, Riad el Sunbaty and Farid el Atrash oud style, so in spite of being Lebanese, his oud playing represents Egyptian style. He gained moderate success in Egypt and worked with the pioneers of that period such as Mohammad Abdel Wahab and Farid al-Atrash. He was an excellent singer of Muwashahat, Adwar and Qasa`id, as well as oud player. He is the father of Lebanese artist Salwa El Qatrib (17 September 1953 2 March
2009).

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"Baidaphon was founded by the Baida brothers of Beirut (Jibran and Farajallah), with the help of their brother Michel (who worked in Berlin as a doctor and was able to arrange a manufacturing deal from a Germany company) and their two cousins Butrus and Jibran. The company's first recordings were in Berlin and the records were shipped back to Beirut for sale. The earliest evidence of sales in Beirut are documented to 1907 although the label may have been operating earlier. Recording in Lebanon, with the help of European engineers, began the same year. Its operating soon began to spread throughout the Arabic world, and by the mid 20s had offices as far west as Tunisia and as far east as Iran. There also had a mail order business located in Berlin which sold items to the European as well as North and South American markets. The company set up a branch in Cairo 1914 and began marketing a wide variety of Arabic music. After the death of Butrus Baida in the early 1930s, the remaining partners began to split apart and the company took on a new partner Muh/ammad Abd al-Wahhb, an Egyptian recording celebrity who helped transform the Egyptian branch of Baidaphon into Cairophon. With the outbreak of World War II, Baidaphon no longer was able to rely on most of their European pressing plants, however they were able to make a deal in neutral Switzerland, and many Baidaphon releases from the war period are noted as being manufactured by the Swiss." *1 (see all the sources at the end of paper) Today, Baidaphon old records and tin boxes of record needles find their places in expensive collections world wide.

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