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.
I have never seen this instrument performed, its very peculiar. I find the composers words to be captivating, the idea that the only way this man can express his observations and his sentiments are through music, communicating using tones, rhythms and harmonies. This is a good example of how music can be beyond authentic in that there is no perfect rendition or performance of a piece of music, as long as it is able to communicate phrases and emotions.
ReplyDeleteExcellent connections to the text, Bror. I hadn't considered the puzzle a hurdy-gurdy might pose for the Sachs-Hornbostel system; I will be sure to reference it in future classes when discussing the system.
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