833830

Iraq: Ud Classique Arabe Par Munir Bashir by Charles DuvelleReview by: Gen'ichi TsugeAsian Music, Vol. 4, No. 2 (1973), pp. 36-37Published by: University of Texas PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/833830 .Accessed: 17/12/2014 20:46

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RECORD REVIEW By

Gen'ichi Tsuge

IRAQ: UD CLASSIQUE ARABE PAR MUNIR BASHIR, Disques OCORA OCR 63.

One 12 " 33 1/3 rpm disc (1973 ? General Editor, Charles Duvelle) Recording by Office de Radiodiffusion-Telvision Francaise, Paris 1971. Notes in French and English by Simon Jargy, 6 pp., music examples and photos. $7.98.

This album presents the classical Cd music practiced in Iraq today. The disc, being devoted entirely to taqsim performance by Munir Bashir, will be treasured by connoisseurs. Munir Bashir is considered "one of the finest musicians in the Arab world and the uncontested master of the Cud" (Jacket notes). It is said that Munir, like his brother Jamil, first studied the classical tradition with Sharif Muhiddin, a Turkish maestro who lived in Baghdad in 1930-40's, and then developed and established his own style and school of Iraqi music.

Here one can listen to a total of eight taqsTim on the following maqa mat:

Nahawand Rast Hiijzkar Kurd Awj Awshar Kurdi

Dasht

The longest taqsim in Nahawand lasts about 9 min. 30 sec., and the shortest one in Awj taking 3 min. 03 sec. Leaving aside Munir's exquisite performance in all these maqamat, the present reviewer is, in particular, interested in the last four taqasTm in Awshar, KurdT, LamT and Dasht. These are typical of the so-called Iraqi (vocal) maqam (al-maqam al-

iiraqT) which was briefly introduced elsewhere in this journal (Tsuge 1972). The inclusion of these maqamat made this album a unique and valuable addition to thI scanty sound materials of the Iraqi maqam pre- sently available to us.

It should be noted that these maqamat strikingly bear a close resemblance to the Persian dastcqah, not only by their names (Awashar and Persian Afshari, Kurdi and Bavat-e Kord, Dasht and Dashti), but also in terms of

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their modal characteristics. In addition to the previous pairs, the resemblance of Awj and Segah, and of LamT and Shur must be also pointed out. The reviewer feels keenly the necessity of comparative studies of the Iraqi maqam, the Persian dastgah, and the Turkish makam.

The notes by Professor Simon Jargy of Geneve are talkative enough to interest general audience in the world of classical c&ud music, if not without a tinge of misleading information to relate this music to the Andalusian music assuming that the Spanish guitarrists are the heirs of the school of Ziryab (Zyriab), who immigrated to Cordoba in 822 from Baghdad.

FOOTNOTES

1. To best of this reviewer's knowledge, the followings are the only commercial recordings (LP) of the Iraqi maqam available, other than the 7" 45 rpm discs from Chakmakchiphon of Baghdad.

Arabian Music: Maqam (UNESCO Collection Musical Sources, Modal Music and Improvisation VI-3), Philips 6586 006

Oriento no Minzoku-ongaku (Living Heritage of Asian Music), Columbia (Japan) EDS-19

Ancient and Oriental Music (The History of Music in Sound, Vol. 1), RCA Victor LM 6057-1

Music from the Middle East, Supraphon SUA 12699

REFERENCE CITED

Tsuge, G. 1972 "A Note on the Iraqi Maqam" in Asian Music IV-1, 59-66

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Article Contentsp. 36p. 37

Issue Table of ContentsAsian Music, Vol. 4, No. 2 (1973), pp. 1-47Front MatterFrom the Editor [p. 1]Betty Belt Holtz: A Letter to Members from the President [p. 2]Layers of Modern Music and Japan [pp. 3 - 6]Tuvin Folk Music [pp. 7 - 18]Book Reviewuntitled [pp. 19 - 26]

Record Review-Essay: Nine Nonesuch Records of Indian Music [pp. 27 - 35]Record Reviewuntitled [pp. 36 - 37]untitled [pp. 38 - 41]

Film Reviewuntitled [pp. 42 - 43]

Brief Communications [p. 44]Back Matter [pp. 45 - 47]

833830

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