Lysander
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History of maqamat
I am looking for a site/page which contains some history of the different maqamat and their origins. Something about where they came front, what
inspired them, what they are attributed to etc. There seems to be very little information on this on the internet [in English] that I've found so far.
Does anyone know of anything relevant?
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Danielo
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Hi,
the most useful resource that I came across regarding the evolution of the maqam during the last three centuries is 'Music of the Ottoman Court' by
Walter Feldman
I learnt there in particular that many of the maqamat that we use are actually quite recent creations by Ottoman musicians, even very common ones like
Nahawand.
If you are intersted by more ancient history, 'The modal system of Arab and Persian music: 1250-1300' by Owen Wright is probably a good ressource.
Unfortunately I didn't manage to find a copy 
Dan
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jdowning
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There is a used copy of Owen Wright's book here
http://used.addall.com/SuperRare/submitRare.cgi?author=Owen+Wright&...
and Feldman's book here
http://used.addall.com/SuperRare/submitRare.cgi?author=walter+feldm...
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SamirCanada
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Also, there is Dr.Scott Marcu's ('Arab Music in the Modern Period' ) thesis is quite good.
and so is his contribution to the Garland encyclopedia http://www.amazon.com/Middle-Garland-Encyclopedia-World-Volume/dp/0...
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Lysander
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Thank you everyone, very useful information. Some of those books linked above are quite pricey though. "Music of the Ottoman Court" really seems to be
something I could do with finding. I'll see if I can pick up a copy anywhere.
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epokhe
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I think Amnon Shiloah devotes a chapter to the development of modes and scales in his book Music in the World of Islam: A Socio-Cultural
Study. I think it also includes some discussion of the medical and cosmological meanings ascribed to the maqamat.
(If you're interested in that aspect of music theory -- I find it absolutely riveting myself -- you could try Music in Renaissance Magic by
Gary Tomlinson, which deals with a parallel tradition in west European music that actually has roots in, or at least strong influences of, the earlier
Arab sources.)
Oh and there's always the entry on "Arab Music" in the Grove Encyclopedia of Music and Musicians (available through the Oxford Music Online website,
for a fee). Not sure how it compares to the Garland World Music source that Samir recommended, but it's fairly comprehensive and might be worth a
try.
I don't have a source to recommend for this final point, but you might also search using the phrase "Cairo Congress of Arab Music" for the place of
the maqamat in the regulation (and politicization) of Arab music theory in the 20th century.
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Danielo
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I find quite unfortunate that many reports on maqam history are biased by some 'nationalistic' considerations...Namely, many Arab sources do not
mention the Ottoman influences at all, as if Arab music travelled from the Abbasid time to the 19th century (Nahda period) without any change. At the
same time, most Turkish sources completely ignore the Arabic influences on Ottoman music, which were certainly very important, in part because
gifted musicians from all parts of the Empire were employed at the court and also because Ottoman music was built upon the pre-existing musical
traditions of the Islamic world.
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SamirCanada
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I was able to find those titles at the local library so I would try that first.
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Jono Oud N.Z
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Good topic!
Other good books are everything by Eugenia Popescu Judetz and also Ruth Davis' book in Malouf is another good one.
And of course:
Amnon Shiloah's' The Theory of Music in Arabic Writings (c.900–1900)', there are two volumes, Amnon has done an impossible and incredible task of
collecting and summarising all the primary historical sources on the maqam and Middle Eastern art music.
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