"Music of the World" – MUL 2720 (Spring 2009) - Warfield

Review Sheet # 4
Nettl, Excursions, Chapter 3 (Middle East)

  1. Know some very basic facts about the country/region of Iran, and especially about Muslim beliefs.
  2. Know some of the basic tenets of the Muslim faith. What does a true believer of Islam think about art in general and music in particular? Why? How are these beliefs exemplified or contradicted by musical practices in the region?
  3. What does Islam actually say about music, and how does that compare to our western attitudes toward music? What is the relationship between music and the Qur'ân (or Koran)? How and why might Muslims view the chanting of the Qur'ân as a "musical" performance (or not)?
  4. What are the concepts of Khandan and Musiqi, and how do they relate to one another? What are the primary criteria for judging music within the context of these two concepts? How do various types of music fit on the continuum between these two points?
  5. What are some of the most important musical instruments used in Iran (and the Middle East)? In general, to what families do each of these instruments belong and how is each played: Santour, Tar, Sehtar, Kamancheh, Ney, and Dombak or Zarb?
  6. What is the Iranian approach to the organization of pitch? What do the following terms mean, and how are they related to one another: Radif, Dastgah (or Maqam), Daramad, and Gusheh?
  7. How is a performance of Iranian classical music ordered and arranged? What is the main controlling element (what is the first thing that must be determined before a program can be given)? What is an Avaz, and why is it the most important part of the program? What are the Pishdaramad, Chahar Mezrab, Tanif and Reng, and what is the status of each?
  8. How important is improvisation (Taqâsîm) in Middle Eastern music, and what does it entail? How are you able to distinguish music that is being improvised from pre-composed works?