6.1 Historical Development of Arab Classical Music

Arab classical music blossomed during the Abbasid Caliphate, a time of cultural growth. Baghdad became an artistic hub, attracting talent from across the Islamic world. The music spread, especially to Muslim-ruled Spain, where it evolved further.

Key figures like Al-Farabi and Ziryab made huge contributions. Al-Farabi's music theory laid the foundation for Arab classical music. Ziryab introduced new forms and techniques, spreading the music throughout Al-Andalus.

Early Development and Golden Age

Emergence and Spread of Arab Classical Music

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• Arab classical music originated and flourished during the Abbasid Caliphate (750-1258 CE) which was a period of great cultural and intellectual growth in the Islamic world
• The Abbasid capital of Baghdad became a center for the arts and sciences attracting scholars, musicians, and artists from across the Islamic world
• Arab classical music spread to other parts of the Islamic world, particularly to Al-Andalus (Muslim-ruled Spain) where it underwent further development and refinement (Ziryab)
• The Golden Age of Islamic Civilization (8th-13th centuries) saw significant advancements in music theory, composition, and performance
  • Treatises on music theory were written by scholars like Al-Farabi who codified the modal system and established the foundations of Arab classical music
  • Court patronage supported the development of sophisticated forms of music and poetry (muwashshahat)

Key Figures and Contributions

• Al-Farabi (870-950 CE) was a renowned philosopher and music theorist who wrote the influential treatise "Kitab al-Musiqa al-Kabir" (The Great Book of Music)
  • He codified the modal system (maqamat) and established the foundations of Arab music theory
  • His work influenced subsequent generations of musicians and theorists in the Arab world and beyond
• Ziryab (789-857 CE) was a Persian musician who settled in Cordoba, Al-Andalus and is credited with introducing new musical forms, instruments, and performance practices
  • He established a music school that trained many prominent musicians and helped to spread Arab classical music throughout Al-Andalus
  • He is said to have added a fifth string to the oud (lute) and developed new playing techniques that expanded its expressive range
  • He popularized the nawba suite form which became a staple of Andalusian classical music

Later Influences and Modernization

Ottoman Influence and Nahda Movement

• The Ottoman Empire (1299-1922) had a significant influence on Arab classical music particularly in the Levant and North Africa
  • Ottoman court music (Turkish classical music) introduced new instruments, forms, and styles that were absorbed into Arab classical music
  • The taksim (improvisation) and peşrev (prelude) forms were adapted from Ottoman music and became important elements of Arab classical performance
• The Nahda movement (19th-early 20th century) was a period of cultural and intellectual revival in the Arab world that sought to modernize and reform Arab culture
  • Nahda thinkers advocated for the preservation and development of Arab classical music as a symbol of Arab cultural identity
  • New musical institutions were established, such as the Oriental Music Institute in Cairo (1929) which aimed to codify and standardize Arab classical music theory and pedagogy

Cairo Congress of Arab Music (1932)

• The Cairo Congress of Arab Music was a landmark event that brought together musicians, scholars, and composers from across the Arab world to discuss the future of Arab music
• The congress aimed to preserve and promote Arab classical music in the face of Westernization and modernization
  • Participants debated issues such as notation, tuning, and the use of Western instruments in Arab music
  • The congress resulted in the publication of a large collection of transcriptions and recordings of Arab classical music
• The congress had a lasting impact on the development of Arab classical music in the 20th century
  • It helped to establish a canon of Arab classical repertoire and performance practice
  • It also sparked a renewed interest in the study and performance of Arab classical music among younger generations of musicians and scholars