Henry Cowell and Classical Iranian Music

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Henry Cowell and Classical Iranian Music

• By Meghan Truax

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Iran
Population69,515,000 CapitalTehran
7,352,000 LanguagePersian, Turkic, Kurdish,
various local dialects Area1,648,000 square
kilometers(636,296 square miles) ReligionShiite
and Sunni Muslim Region Mountains and deserts
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(No Transcript)
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Islam

• 98 of the population is Muslim which is evident
  in culture and music
• Basics of Islam
• Founded by Muhammad in 622 CE
• Views based on the Quran
• 6 main beliefs which include belief in a single,
  invisible God as well as angels and the divine
  scriptures
• Viewed as a lifestyle or faith rather then a
  religion

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Musical Origins

• Music derived from the combination of ancient
  Iranian and Persian origins
• Musicians generally respected in ancient times
• Barbad-inventor of the lute and the beginnings of
  the maqam system
• System of 7 modes, 30 derivations, and 360
  melodies based on the calendar
• Similar to western Church modes-see next
• Originally two types of music The persian
  Classical Tradition and the dastgah

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Iranian Classical Music

• Today has diversified into many styles including
  pop
• Classically utilizes unique key signatures based
  on a 24 note scale with 50 cents between tones
• Uses the Radif, a collection of short, memorized
  melodies called gusheh in seven modes or dastgah
• Instruments may include the tombak, the ney, the
  tar, and a western violin that may be tuned
  according to the gusheh

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• Tar
• Played with bras embedded in beeswax
• Central Asian origin

• Ney
• Reed Flute
• 3 Octave Range
• Main wind instrument

• Tombak
• Goblet Drum
• Also known as Donbak or Dombak
• May be played with metal rings on fingers
• Solos may last 10 minutes

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Iranian Music and other cultures

• Belongs to a group of musical cultures derived
  from the maqam system
• Datsgah in Iran
• Maqam in Arabian and Sephardic Jewish music
• Mugham in Iranian Azeribaijani (ethnic group of
  northern Iran)
• Makam in Turkey

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Henry Cowell

• Born in 1897 in Menlo Park California
• Began playing the violin at the age of five
• Received little formal education, but began to
  compose in his teens
• Attended the U of C Berkley as a protégé under
  Charles Seeger
• Experimented with tonalities and non-western
  rhythms, developed techniques of string piano and
  tone clusters
• Was the leader in avant-garde composition in the
  20s and 30s
• Was arrested on a morals charge in 1936 and was
  imprisoned for 4 years
• Paroled in 1940 and pardoned in 1942, when his
  music became more conservative though he remained
  progressive
• Traveled to many places, including a 3 month
  visit to Iran where he was the guest of Radio
  Tehran
• Died in 1965 after a series of illness

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Homage to Iran by Henry Cowell

• Composed after his visit, meant to convey the
  essence of the area
• Did not attempt to stay true to Iranian music
• 4 parts
• Part 1-Adante Rubato
• Tombak and Violin-traditional Iranian Instruments
• Both instruments played in a westernized manner
• Long tones in the violin with some nonwestern
  embellishments
• Duple time in the rhythm section

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Dozarbi Sehzarbi By Hossein Tehrani

• Similar driving rhythmic patterns and tempo
• Different techniques used
• Rings
• Different feel of time
• Free form vs western duple
• Same instrument, different style
• Short rhythms and wavering notes versus long
  clear melodic notes

Shootshtari By Siavosh Zendegani
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Works Cited

• Information
• http//www.classical-music-review.org/reviews/ToTh
  eEast.html
• http//www.naxosdirect.com/title/8559193/
• http//www.amazon.com/Cowell-Homage-Pieces-Casual-
  Developments/dp/B000QQUOYK
• http//www.world-beats.com/store/
• http//www.duke.edu/azomorod/tombak.jpg
• http//travel.nationalgeographic.com/places/countr
  ies/country_iran.html
• https//www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world
  -factbook/geos/ir.html
• http//www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Henry_Cowe
  ll
• http//www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/141260/H
  enry-Cowell
• http//www.vi-co.org/pdf/Persian_study-guide_compo
  sers-musicians.pdf
• http//www.irvl.net/iran-music/

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• Pictures
• http//worldmusic.nationalgeographic.com/view/page
  .basic/album/content.album/faryad/en_US
• http//worldmusic.nationalgeographic.com/view/page
  .basic/country/content.country/iran_344
• http//images.absoluteastronomy.com/images/encyclo
  pediaimages/h/he/henry_cowell_playing_string_piano
  .jpg
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FileMehmooni2.jpg
• http//www.mideastweb.org/culture/ney.jpg
• http//www.schirmer.com/default.aspx?TabId2419St
  ate_28722ComposerId_2872297
• http//www.amazon.com/Dozarbi-Sehzarbi-Tonbak/dp/B
  001Q1MQ72
• http//www.barbadmusic.com/Persian20Traditional.h
  tm