, 1886-05-01
ORIENTAL MUSIC mo DANCING


Diner from Those of tho oooident In
Cadence and In Accent.
Oriental music and dancing differ from
those OF the Occident in their cadence
and accent. In Oriental estimation
music must be soft and undulating to
produce symphony. Accordingly the
Intervention Of semitones is essential for
melody. This notion is evident from the
fact that if you ask an Oriental about his
conception Of western music, he will
sound n confederation of incongruous
full notes; and, on the other hand, a
European, with equal RIGHTEOUSNESS, will
Groom n succession Of indistinct notes,
producing n complete monotony. Nor
have the Orientals any idea OF harmony.
1t is all melody with them. Conse-
quently a choir OF singers or an orchestra
of performers all sing and play the air
only. Nevertheless, they are very
musical in their in~clinations. and nave
an acute ear for it; for Notwithstanding
that European music is Numerically OPP
posed TO their own. and consequently I'M
natural to them, they have learned TO
play operate airs with tasto and artistic
ability. Until recently. having no
musical annexation, they were taught by
ear. but contact with civilization and the
introduction OF European music gave
them n useful lesson on the subject,
especially since the adoption OF the
piano, which jingles nov in almost every
harem.
Their ~favorite instruments are the
lahootah and the kementcheh, both
string instruments. The lahootah is a
kind OF n guitar, the body Of which re-
sembles half Of an egg cut longitudinally,
the small end being attached TO a neck
with frets. 1t is mounted with four cat
gut strings, supported by p bridge rest
ing on the sounding-board, and attuned
by keys in the head. 1t is played by
vibrating the strings with n quill.
The kementcheh is a singular con-
%trivance. 1t is an instrument about
fifteen inches in length, rather shallow,
resembling the hull Of a gondola, with
no neck, but a head, in which are in
serted the keys. 1t has three strings of
catgut, standing high from the sounding
board. and no frets. Contrary to bow
instruments, the lower end is made to
rest on the left knee, and the bow is
drawn across in that position, and the
notes are %modulated with the upper
knuckles instead Of the tips Of the
fingers. 1t is capable Of producing the
shrillest sound when played.
Apart from these two they have other
instruments, such as the KEENAN,, tam
boor, kanoon, suntoor. ney. and the teff.
The KEENAN, is the Turkish violin. 1t
differs from the European in the ar
rangement of its strings; otherwise it is
played in the same manner Instead of
four strings, they have seven, devoted to
the primary notes. Underneath these
they nave a range Of wire strings, which
vibrate in son with the vibra-
tons OF the upper strings. This instru-
ment is rarely used nowadays, the Eu-
ropean violin having superseded it.
The tamboor is also a stringed instru-
ment, with a semispherical body, and a
long handle with frets, the strings being
OF wire. 1t is trummed with a fiat piece
Of turtle shell called muzrab. The ka-
noon is the either, played with thimbles.
1t is perhaps the prototype Of the mod
ern harp. The santoor is an instrument
that resembles the kanoon. only that its
strings, instead of being of catgut, are
tallic, and is played upon with hammers
"a sort of portable piano, of which in
strument it is doubtless the parent.
The ney is the Turkish flute. 1t con-
sists of a reed about two feet long, hav-
ing six holes and no keys, and is blown
through the opening at the top. 1t is a
favorite instrument with the dervishes,
and so primitive in construction that it
must be n direct descendant OF Apollo's.
The teif is the ordinary 'tambourine; it is
used to indicate time, as does the baton
in the hands OF a leader of orchestra.
The Oriental style Of dancing il as dis
tinct and peculiar as their music. They,
the Orientals, hold that dancing is an
expression, therefore a language. If
music be the language of emotion, dane
ing is that of motion. Accordingly, the
more POLITICALLY expressed, the better and
sublimer its effect. But as language has
its particular accent, dependent upon the
idiosyncrasies Of the people using it,
dancing has also its own accent, govern
ed and dictated by the music. The North
ern nations, being positive and EN-
phatic in expression, their accent is sharp
and heavy. For instance. take the word
ciyilizing, upon the first syllable Of which
the accent is made to fall with a force of
a sledge-hammer, and the rest are al
lowed to follow in quick succession, like
a piece Of India-rubber in the hands of a
playful child. who may delight to let the
stretched elastic collapse; whereas, the
southern people, being mild and poetic,
have their accents soft and evenly diff
fused. Accordingly dancing, which is
in their estimation but the poetry of
motion, must be gentle and undulatory,
which can only be demonstrated by
south and grace. -Harper's Bazaar.