The title of the pieces in this video are Raga Darbari
Kannada, Raga Adana, and Raga Bhairavi. They are performed by Ali Akbar Khan
and Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri and an unknown woman. This is North Indian
Classical music and is scored for Sitar, Tabla, and Tanpura.
I think one take away that I got from this example, as well
as our listening examples is that aesthetic values are not the same across all
cultural lines. These examples are all different ragas, but personally, I find
it difficult to distinguish them from an aesthetic viewpoint. I appreciate that
they are different, and that others distinguish them with the ease that I
distinguish pieces of Western European art music. Over the course of this
maters degree program, it has been stated several times that not everyone shares
the same musical and aesthetic preferences, and this is the case for me. The
performance is masterful, but as the saying goes, it is not my cup of tea.
Classification systems are extremely useful, especially when describing
unfamiliar sounds. If someone were trying to point out musical features in a
recording of a raga, it would be difficult for me to just know what each
instrument is and what it sounds like. Describing the sitar as a chordophone
with a bright timbre would help me to distinguish its sound. Likewise,
classification systems can help to compare pieces of music in terms of meter
and rhythmic feel. Describing a piece with a time signature does not work well
for all types of music, nor does it help anyone who does not have an
understanding of the meaning of time signatures. Instead, describing meter
using concepts such as cyclical patterns, colotomic, duple or triple meter
makes this kind of description much more accessible to a broader audience.
Mark,
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post. The first part of your post is what I appreciated most. You are right, it is difficult to distinguish music of other cultures when we struggle to enjoy it aesthetically. I am sure that those who are raised in other cultures respond in a very similar way when they hear American or Western styled music.
Your comments about the classification systems was also very well stated. They are essential for helping to identify and classify sounds that are new to our ears.
Great Post!
Hey Mark,
ReplyDeleteAwesome post! I like how you mention classifications systems being useful, especially when listening to unfamiliar sounds. I find it easier to identify the origin of a piece based on their instrumentation. When I am not familiar with a certain instrument, it is easier to define how that instrument is played. It's easy to listen for an instrument being struck, plucked, strung, or blown in to. Once I can determine wether that instrument is an aerophone, idiophone, or membranophone; I can get closer to the origin of the song. I also classify pieces based on the instruments timbre. A sitar has a very distinct sound. I recognize that timbre from many pieces from India. I can then listen to how the instrument is played and determine that it is a chordophone.
A raga has has a complicated form, like a symphony. The more you listen, the more the form, at least, will become familiar. Familiarity tends to be one of the most substantial factors in whether music is preferred or not preferred. All that being said, it is perfectly fine not to enjoy every new piece you hear!
ReplyDeleteYes, the Sachs-Hornbostel classification system is certainly helpful to us as we explore new cultures. It is very helpful to librarians as well as it is the system used to catalogue instruments.