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Heritage
On The Methodology of the Investigation:
Author:
City
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Baku
Country :
Azerbaijan
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The creation of the 17-degree scale by Safiuddin Urmavi has not lost its importance in our days. But in the some contemporary research the relation between Urmavis theory and modern tonal systems is concluded on just the formal resemblance of tetrachordial structures of maqam scales. However, any kind of statements about correlation of tonal systems must be based on a deeper study of the features of maqam/mugam music, a comparative study of existing theories and definition of the relationship between practical music and theory.
For definition of the extent of the influence by Safiuddins theory on the contemporary tonal systems different aspects should be taken into consideration.
Historical review of the development of the traditional musical art of the Middle East reveals several types of usage of this theory. We can list these, as: a) explicit use, b) concealed or partial use, c) theoretical and d) practical use.
Until the 16th century, Urmavis theory was the basis of the musical science as well as of performance art (see points “a”,”c”,”d”).
From the sixteenth century, the decline of the science of music begins (as it did with of some other sciences) and the 17-degree scale disappears from the pages of treatises. However, Urmavis grandeur lies in the fact that his theory was based on a multicolored musical “ground”. That is why the tonal system of Urmavi continued to retain its stability and musical compatibility in the performance (practical) art of different cultures (points “b”,”d”).
The new processes in modern life and musical culture became the reasons for the creation of new musical theories. At the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries a theory based on 24-degree scale was created in Arabian, Persian and Turkish music. The contemporary theory of Azerbaijani traditional music was based on the12-degree equally-tempered system.
It is not my intention to try to decide on the priority of any of them. But there can be no doubt that before any assertions can be made the answers to the following questions should be found: Were the reasons for the replacement of the 17-degree scale by the theoreticians: objective or subjective? What was the main aim of the creation of new tonal system? How closely was it related to traditional music? Does the new theory reflect the features of national music?
In Turkey, the 24-degree scale tonal system was represented by R.Yekta (1871-1935) and developed by S.Arel (1880-1955) and S.Ezgi (1869-1962).
It must be noted that the division of the scale into the 24 degrees was already known previously. But it had only theoretical usage. Seydi (15th century) in his manuscript “al-Matla” wrote that “besides the division (düzen) to 17 degrees (parde) a division on 24 degrees is also known but it is a contrary one (mükhalif) and the masters of music felt the will not to disclose it. That is why we did not tell about it” (Seydi: 39a).
Although the scales of the contemporary Turkish maqams were created by a combination of tetrachords and pentachords (similar to Urmavis and Greek ancient style), it can hardly be called a reflection of Safiuddins theory. Some of the contemporary specialists consider that “the whole procedure of the new attitude was provided with Western concepts” (Aksoy: 8). Debates on this issue and research into a new system were begun in 1933 (Ayomak). They are continuing in our days (Aksoy). Although Yektas tonal system remains the official tonal system of contemporary Turkish traditional music, the search for other scales, which would be more suitable for practical music, continues. At the same time the study of the scale of the Turkish folkloric instrument Baglama (which is called “ashık sazı” in Azerbaijan) has shown its close relation to Urmavis scale (points “b” and “d”). It proves that in the performance art of the contemporary traditional music of Turkey, Safiuddins theory preserves its importance (Tura: 158).
New musical influences also did not bypass Azerbaijan. However, “the new” did not revoke the musical heritage. Remarkable musician and scientist U. Hadjibeyov (1895-1948) in his work named "Principles of Azerbaijani Folk Music" (1945) tried to adapt the tetrachordial system of Safiuddin to the modern conditions of the traditional music. The aim of his theory was to create the conditions for the performance of national music on Europeans instruments also with the help of a standard notation. It was one of the main reasons for him to use the Western tonal system. At the same time he recognized and wrote that in reality the intervals of Azerbaijani music are more specific and it has 17 unequally degrees (Hadjibeyov: 21).
The investigations of the scale of the Azerbaijani traditional instrument tar (Hadjibeyov, Belayev, Ismailov, Kourbani) revealed that it is based on the scale of Urmavi. Some peculiarities of the Azerbaijani traditional music mugam are also related to the 17-degree scale. Thus, in this case, the nature of music, the scale of tar and the theory of Safiuddin in a whole have displayed an integral character of their interaction (points “b” and “d”). In other words, the traditional music of Azerbaijan has close vital ties with the theory of Urmavi.
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