The Arabic Musical Art And Its Contribution To The West Civilization

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It is far from very easy to define the Arabic music, since the principles where it's based have already been taken from peoples non-Arab: moors, Byzantines and Iranians etc. However, we can make a distinction between the pure Arabic music, which was practiced, and practiced even today, in it primitive form well before the advent of Islam, and the other, more recent, formed under the Arab domination, in the course of the Muslim expansion.


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Within the conquered countries the Arab elements have been adapted for the regional music in a balance different each and every time; to set it more clearly, we need to say "Andalusian Arabic music", "Egyptian Arabic music", etc; through the above, the regional differences are definitely more prominent than those that might be based in the European music French, between and Italian art and it also with all the German art and obliges us to not forget this variable nature.



The two small kingdoms of Hyra and Gassan based in the border of Byzantium and Persia, served as containment barriers towards the Arab thrusts through the desert. Gassan, satellite in the Byzantine Empire of East and Hyra from the Empire Sassanid Persian, were affected by these two powerful empires and by them went ,toward the inside of the Arabian Peninsula, a stream of cultural influence of that not escaped the songs. Influence, which, coming from India, had penetrated in Asia minor and Greece. The Mecca pilgrims to see the temple from the Kaaba and so the forced visit to the nearby county fairs of Ukaz, were held with music and songs which were a crucial part of the religious and social life. In Ukaz held true festivals of poetry as well as the chosen formed within a splint with golden letters and hung around the Kaaba, to get read by everybody and in addition everybody known its author.



Muhammad had to necessarily have been present at such ceremonies, before the revelation. But the truth is that in the Quran there is not one word against it if the Prophet approved or disapproved the music was raised after. Toward the year 661, which matches the death of Ali, your fourth orthodox caliph, the Arabs executed only a melody in accordance with the rhythmic values in the spoken language; this litany, knew two kinds of pace: the as a result of passage of trotting and camels of horses. Along with the songs of caravan, the Arab pre-Islamic music possessed also funeral elegies, warriors songs, travel songs and love songs. For that Arabic people, the music accompanying him from cradle to grave; for every moment of his life had been a special music: within the pleasure, within the pain, at the job, in the game in the heat of the battle as well as in the religious devotion.



One of the 661, establishment of the Caliphate of Umayyad Damascus as well as the 833, time of the Abbasid dynasty, the Arabic music evolves from the Greek and Persian influence; they learn to rid themselves of pace imposed from the spoken language and acquiring the concept of the proper musical measure. Ziryab, great musician and theoretical, which can be placed in Al Andalus, achieves that Granada and Cordoba be erected in centers of Arabic musical art giving a character to the west Arabic music, opposed in part, towards the school of Baghdad since, whilst in Baghdad the songs is based on the process, the Ziryab school is dependant on the psycho physiological action that exerts the tunes as being a therapy.



It was during there remain in Spain if the Arabs triggered the perfection the tunes art, setting the characteristics in the great Cantatas, still called Nauba Ghernata (Naubas of Granada). Although the music and musical instruments were legally banned, the effects of spiritual music were clearly recognized. That is the Sufism causing that music acquires respectability, but who gives the final backing, is the intellectual and theologian in the 12th century, Al Gazzali, who wrote: "Ecstasy means their state reached when you hear the music," setting the rules in order that the concert give you the auditor a spiritual profit:



1) A highly chosen time



2) a highly chosen place



3) A convenient auditorium



Where is directed the look within the East, is seen the influence from the Arabic art. In Turkey and Persia were translated works from the Arab and other were inspired by their work. You can find Arab works known also in India but also for whom the earnings through the context of Arab culture are larger is undoubtedly for your Western Europe, which received the legacy from the Arabs by two channels: the political contact and also the literary and also the intellectual contact because of the Arab translations and to the oral teachings by students who studied in the Muslim schools in Spain and other countries.



It is possible this is the way of measuring the songs the greatest legacy left by the Arabs in Europe; the "cantus mensurabilis" was unknown before of Franco Cologne (Franco Teutonicus) approximately in 1190. The Arabs tried it since the 7th century. As regards the musical instruments, the Arab heritage is a very important; there is no doubt that the names and current models of a large number of instruments comes from the Arabs. Inside a first contribution, came each of the string instruments that make up the family unit of lute, the audience from the bandola and guitar. Then came the instruments of arc of different types. The transcendental fact was that the lute, the bandola as well as the guitar brought the spot of the notes marked on the neck through frets to discover the pitch. The European troubadours, once they began to contact the Arabs, should only tune by the ear their instruments which were the sitar and harp.



Another benefit provided by the Arabs was the melodic ornamentation, which is the counterpart of arabesque in other arts, which in Europe gave, probably, the first impetus towards the harmony. In philosophy and science, in the songs as with other arts, the contributions in the Arabs were considerable. It is possible to say, without overstatement that, they returned undoubtedly towards the medieval Europe, that have obtained from the ancient Europeans. They enriched, amalgamated and collected the ancient culture contributing along with his own label, making it original and thus, as a true gift, they gave it on inheritance for the West.