Performer: Matthias Loibner
Culture: The composer/performer Michael Leibner is from Austria. By the title and musical style he was inspired by the medieval Muslim residents of North Africa and Europe. The hurdy-gurdy is found in cultures across Europe, but the style of the one in the video is French in origin.
Instrumentation: Solo hurdy-gurdy. This is a rosined wheel-driven chordophone. Hornbostel-Sachs 321.322-72. Instrument made by W. Weichselbaumer of Vienna.
To a musician in the western art music tradition, the hurdy-gurdy can be a confounding instrument. For this reason it has been one of my favorites since I first heard it a decade ago. It sounds similar to a violin but is played with a crank. It is a string instrument with drones that can also play complex melodies and even use quasi-percussive effects. However, the Hornbostel-Sachs system clearly classifies it as a chordophone.
The varying cultures that contribute to this piece also represent a primarily universalist ideal. The composer, Loibner, was inspired by "Moorish" musics from far away to write a piece using an instrument from shared cultures in Europe. The universalist ideal of this piece can be seen in a quote from the composer/performer's own website.
I am not a musician,
I am an observer of human moods and sentiments.
Since I do not trust words
and can not paint
I use my music in order to tell my observations.
This in particular draws me to this piece. I too want to believe that musical properties can be independent of cultures.
