The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-07-31
Oriental Music and Dancing.

Oriental Music and Dancing.
From Harpers' Bazar.
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 symPho-
ny. Accordingly the Intervention of semi
tones 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 concatenation Of in
congruous full notes; and, on the. other
hand, European, with equal Righteousness,
will Groom a succession of indistinct notes,
producing a complete monotony. Nor have
the Orientals any idea of harmony. 1t is
all melody with them. Consequently a
choir of singers or an orchestra of per-
formers all sing and play the air only.
Nevertheless they are very musical In their
inelinations, and have an acute ear for it;
for notwithstanding that European music
is Numerically opposed to their own, and
consequently unnatural to them, they have
learned to play operatic airs with taste 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
useful lesson on the subject, especially
since tie adoption of the piano, which
jingles now in almost every harem,
Their favorite instruments are the lahoo-
tab and the kementcheh, both string in-
struments. The lahootah is kind Of a
guitar, the body of which resembles half Of
an egg cut longitudinally, the small end
being attached to neck with frets. 1t is
mounted with four catgut strings, sup
ported by bridge resting on the sounding
board, and attuned by keys in the head.
1t is played by vibrating the strings with
quill.
The kementcheh is a singular contri-
vance. 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 inserted 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 in
struments, such as the keman, tamboor,
kanoon, suntoor, ney and the tef. The
keman is the Turkish violin. 1t differs
from the European in the arrangement 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 have range
of wire strings, which Vibrate in consoRaHcs
with the vibrations Of the upper strings:
This instrument is rarely used nowadays,
the European violin having superseded it.
The tambour is also stringed instru-
ment, with a semi-spherical body, and a
long handle with frets, the strings being Of
wire. 1t is trummed with fat piece of
turtle shell called muzrab. The kanoon is
the either, played with thimbles. 1t is
perhaps the prototype of the modern harp.
The santoor is an instrument that resembles
the kanoon, only that its strings, instead Of
being catgut, are tallic, and is played upon
with hammers sort of portable piano,
of which instrument it is doubtless the
parent.
The ney is the Turkish flute 1t con-
sists of reed about two feet long, having
six holes and no keys, and is blown through
the opening at the top. 1t is favorite
instrument with the deryishes, and so prim-
itive in construction that it must be di-
rect descendant of Apollo's. The teff is
the ordinary tambourine; it is used to in
dictate time, as does the baton in the hands
of a leader of orchestra.
The oriental style of dancing is as distinct
and peculiar as their music. They, the
Orientals, hold that dancing is an express
sion, therefore language. If music be
the language of emotion, dancing 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 idiosypcrasies of the
people using it, dancing has also its own
accent, governed and dictated by the music.
The Northern nations, being positive and
emphatic 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 sledge-hammer, and the rest are
allowed to follow in quick succession, like
piece of India rubber in the hands of a
playful child, who may delight to let the
stretched elastic collapse; whereas the South
ern people, being mild and poetic, have
their accents soft and evenly diffused. Ac-
cordingly dancing, which is in theirestima-
ton but the poetry of motion, must be
gentle and undulatory, which can only be
demonstrated by youth and grace.
A lady was asked by her friends if she
really intended to mary Mr., who was