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| taqsim | |
|---|---|
| Name | Taqsim |
| Background | instrumental |
| Cultural origin | Ottoman Empire, Arab world, Persian culture |
| Typical instruments | oud, nay, qanun, violin, qanun |
| Related forms | maqam, raga, waslah |
taqsim Taqsim is an instrumental improvisatory form rooted in Ottoman Empire and Arab world musical traditions, often serving as an introductory or interstitial piece within a larger waslah or concert program. It functions within modal systems such as maqam and interacts with instruments like the oud, nay, qanun, and violin, appearing in repertoires associated with ensembles from Istanbul, Cairo, Beirut, and Tehran. Practitioners range from court musicians tied to the Topkapı Palace to modern performers linked to institutions like the Bibliothèque nationale de France and the Royal Academy of Music (London).
The term derives from Arabic and Ottoman Turkish lexical traditions influenced by Arabic language, Turkish language, and Persianate court vocabulary found in sources such as texts from the Sultanate of Rum and manuscripts preserved at the Süleymaniye Library. Scholarly treatments appear in studies by researchers affiliated with SOAS University of London, Université Saint-Joseph (Beirut), and the University of Tehran, and are discussed alongside related terms like maqam, dastgah, and gusheh in catalogs curated by the British Library and the Library of Congress.
Taqsim evolved during the late Ottoman Empire period alongside urban art music forms practiced in Istanbul, Cairo, and Damascus, influenced by courtly genres patronized by the Sultan Abdulmejid I and musicians associated with the Mevlevi Order and the Janissaries. Its development intersects with the circulation of manuscripts and recordings via collectors such as Kemal Reis, archival projects led by the Istanbul Technical University, and ethnomusicological fieldwork by scholars at Columbia University and the University of Chicago. Encounters with European classical music during the 19th century and exchanges with performers linked to the Al-Azhar University and the American University of Beirut contributed to hybrid practices documented in periodicals from Alexandria and programs at the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet.
Structurally, taqsim centers on exploration of a modal nucleus such as a maqam bayati, maqam hijaz, or maqam rast, unfolding through cadential patterns and motivic development comparable to passages in raga performances from India or Persian dastgah improvisations. Performance practice is transmitted through masters associated with conservatories like the Conservatoire de Paris and workshops affiliated with the Arab Music Institute (Cairo), relying on oral transmission recorded in field collections by the Smithsonian Institution and the Institut du Monde Arabe. Notation efforts by composers connected to the Istanbul Municipal Conservatory and analysts at the Royal College of Music have codified aspects of rhythm and pitch while respecting improvisatory freedom highlighted in programs at the Carnegie Hall and festivals such as the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music.
Regional variants of taqsim are associated with urban centers: Istanbul styles emphasize oud and kanun techniques preserved in the Mevlevi repertoire, Cairo approaches foreground the nay and vocal-instrumental exchange found in the works of ensembles from the Khedivial Opera House, and Tehran interpretations draw on Persian classical music aesthetics linked to the Dār al-Funun. Instrument-specific traditions include oud taqsim idioms championed by schools around the Arab Academy of Music, violin improvisations popularized by artists connected to the Tehran Symphony Orchestra, and qanun tradition taught in conservatories such as the Royal Conservatory of Brussels through visiting masters from Damascus and Beirut.
Composers and improvisers use taqsim as a vehicle for modal exploration, thematic development, and concert dramaturgy, paralleling roles played by raga in compositions by figures like Ravi Shankar or by dastgah expositions in works associated with Mohammad Reza Shajarian and Darvish Khan. Compositional incorporation occurs in pieces premiered at venues including the Teatro alla Scala, Royal Albert Hall, and contemporary festivals such as the Midem and WOMAD. Taqsim functions pedagogically within curricula at institutions like The Juilliard School and Berklee College of Music when courses address modal theory and improvisation linked to practitioners tied to ensembles such as the National Symphony Orchestra (Lebanon).
Prominent taqsim practitioners include masters linked to historical and contemporary traditions: Munir Bashir (oud), Farid al-Atrash (oud), Naser Razzazi (nay associations), Said Darwish-era performers archived at the Egyptian National Library collections, and modern interpreters represented on labels associated with the Arabesque Records and the ECM Records catalog. Landmark recordings appear on compilations curated by the Smithsonian Folkways and releases documented in the discographies of the Habanera and Lyrichord labels; notable concert recordings were issued following performances at the Royal Festival Hall, the Cairo Opera House, and the Konya International Mystic Music Festival.
Category:Musical forms