Masel
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Posts: 367
Registered: 6-18-2006
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An idea: maqam analysis threads. This one's samai iraq
As we all want to learn more about maqam/makam, I decided to write an analysis of samai wachi alnaharein (samai of two rivers) in maqam iraq, composed
by Salim al'nur, an Iraqi jew today living in israel. All of Salim's music was written with an engineer's mind and it is very complex and shows good
knowledge of Iraqi maqam. It is a beautiful samai and quite advanced, which can teach about some Iraqi maqams. I write this not only for me but also
because I hope it will inspire more people to do similar things (be it with samaiat, taqsim, pesrevs, songs, whatever), so please do it we will all
learn much.
This was a difficult analysis to write because it's the first time I try, I hope it didn't come out too clumsy and that everyone understands the names
of the notes (rather than in letters).
Also to do this I need a file hosting site (that can take files larger than 1mb) so if you know one please…
Maqam iraq is quite rare outside iraq (I think), the notes of the scale are iraq, rast, dugah, segah, chargah, nawa, huseyni, iraq, or (h means
half..) Bhb C D Ehb F G A Bhb.
The first hana starts in another Iraqi maqam, awshar which is segah on iraq and nahawand on the note dugah. The melody starts on the tonic and rests
shortly on dugah before falling back to the tonic. From there it modulates to iraq, bastanegar (segah+saba) and huzam.
The taslim (in maqam iraq) plays around the tonic, dugah and nawa before modulating to bastanegar.
The second hana starts in iraq but when it passes the note chargah it has already modulated to bastanegar for the rest of the hana.
The third hana is quite difficult so I might have missed something in the analysis, but as you play it it starts in I believe awjara or simply segah
on the octave (awj), which sounds strong also because it is the first time the octave was reached in the whole samai. The melody plays around and
falls down to the tonic, quickly moving up again to a hint of huzam (I think..) on the octave and then a very short but strong passage in a distinctly
Iraqi maqam called mkhalef – I am talking about the short semi-chromatic phrase around the octave (awj), and again falls back to the tonic.
The darej is not in a triple rhythm as normally but in a very typical 10/8 Iraqi rhythm called egreg or jurjina. The melody begins in the note yegah
but rests on iraq, the moves further up to huzam (or rahat el arwach), and modulating to iraq moves up to the octave and passes it. The melody the
descends passing quickly between bastanegar, huzam and again iraq. Rast sol (or maybe yegah) is hinted at before the melody closes on iraq.
So again I hope this will cause more people to participate (kind of like the maqam of the month thread only the maqam is up to you). And thank you
Mike for hosting the file.
Download here: Samai iraq
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zalzal
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Posts: 747
Registered: 12-9-2005
Location: Nîmes France
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Mood: still alive
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Is this a good transcription??. I tried to read while listenning but could not.
http://qanunji.googlepages.com/samaiiraksalimal-nur.pdf
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Masel
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Posts: 367
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The transcription is good but the problem is that this samai is very precise, down to the smallest details, so there is little room left for
improvising, which also means that the transcription is very long but the melody moves very fast. This is the kind of genius Salim is, he never
transcribed it, in fact he still today cannot read music.
For me it was easier to learn by ear, I have a different transcription but I only looked at it at very specific points. I think if you listen to the
samai and let it sink in, plus read what I wrote in the original post it might be easier to learn.
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Masel
Oud Junkie
Posts: 367
Registered: 6-18-2006
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Seriously no one is interested in writing something new, or even commenting on what I took the time to write? I think it can be very valuable
discussion.
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SamirCanada
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Registered: 6-4-2004
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I really enjoyed it to say the least.
but I didnt take the time to say much.
but just so you know maqam Iraq was used very frequently in classical arabic music outside Iraq.
Many egyptian composers of the last century used it often.
anyways if he never wrote it then it would have been pretty hard for the orchestra to play it.
I am sure its written somewhere. but then again it always amazes me when I hear professional musicians play full peices learnt by heart.
thanks for analysis once again.
its great and in depth.
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