the education digest

13159 THE MUSIC OF ISLAM (SAMPLER) - VARIOUS ARTISTS (1998 AFIM INDIE Award Winner)

Given the number of Islamic-majority countries in the world, and the number of centuries they’ve been that way, the variety, prevalence, and quality of Islamic music as part of the cultural histories of those places should come as no surprise. The Music of Islam features 15 tracks totally nearly 80 minutes of music from the huge 15-volume survey that producer David Parsons compiled. Each volume (and each selection on this sampler) represents a different Islamic musical tradition: the music of Andalusia, the Arabian Peninsula, Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan, Tunisia, and Yemen; classical music of Cairo; music of the Nubians, the South Sinai Bedouins, and the Whirling Dervishes; gnawa music and the music of mystics; Sufi ceremonies; and Koran recitations.

What the various musics tend to share in common is a 24-tone-per-octave system, using modal scales. (Western music recognizes 12 tones per octave, and uses major and minor scales). There are numerous compositional forms, with strict rules governing improvisation, structure, and permissible variations. The songs are likewise played on a wide variety of percussion, wind, and stringed instruments (rarely bowed) uncommon to Western music. The line between secular and sacred, folk and art music is practically arbitrary.

David Parsons has captured beautiful performances of instrumental and sung music, travelling to Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Morocco, Pakistan, Qatar, Tunisia, Turkey, and Yemen to do so. While the 15-volume set would, of course, be the ideal gem in a personal or library collection, The Music of Islam sampler is an excellent, excellent introduction to the wonderful diversity of Islamic music. Highly recommended.

• Tom Bowden is Contributing Review Editor to The Education Digest and Managing Editor of Tech Directions.
  

13111 THE MUSIC OF ARMENIA (SAMPLER) - VARIOUS ARTISTS

The 21 cuts on this CD, which lasts nearly and hour and twenty minutes, form a quick survey of the rich diversity and history of Armenian music: sacred choral music, medieval music, traditional kanon (zither) music, folk music, and songs for the duduk (a type of oboe, producing a sound most typically identifiable as “Armenian”). The songs here reach as far back as the 12th century and extend up to the 20th century. (Armenia has some of the world’s oldest written music.) All of the music here comes from a six-volume set, each volume devoted to a particular type of Armenian music.

Recorded by the intrepid David Parsons, responsible for the three-volume Music of Cambodia, the three-volume Music of Vietnam, and 15-volume (!) Music of Islam, the selections comprising The Music of Armenia come mainly from areas within Armenia’s present borders, with the exception of folk music from the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which now lies inside Azerbaijan.

Armenia’s sacred choral music has its roots in both chant and epic-song traditions and demonstrates a sophisticated—and disarmingly beautiful—sense of harmony. How a full CD of this music never became as big a seller as the Benedictine monk’s Chant is beyond me. Mesmerizing, engaging, and emotionally compelling, the three sacred songs represented here are amazing examples of lyrics whose message you can feel, even if you don’t understand the language.

Closely related as a musical genre are the next four songs, from medieval Armenia, known as Sharakan songs, which blend sacred figures with sacred themes and focus more on solo rather than ensemble performances. This is music to break your heart.

Highlighting the next six cuts are the duduk and kanon, representing the classical music of Armenia, which nonetheless bears a close resemblance to its folk music. Stately, austere, and gentle, the songs convey a subtle majesty and dignity.

The last nine tracks document Armenia’s folk musics, including dances, love songs, songs of praise, and a pair of laments. The Karabakh Children’s Choir, who perform Kenats yerg, deserve a CD of their own, so good is their singing.

If you’re new to world or Armenian music and want a sample of what’s available, The Music of Armenia is a must-have to start your collection. Otherwise, the full six-CD set is what you want.

• Tom Bowden is Contributing Review Editor to The Education Digest and Managing Editor of Tech Directions.