GYPSY MUSIC ON SAXOPHONE IN THE BALKANS
Ferus Mustafov / world
A project of « gypsy music » starring the saxophonist Ferus Mustafov. The performance shows the importance of gypsy techniques, specific rhythms and improvisation.
Biography
The presentation would consist of an oral presentation of the text, and if time allows, showing video clips on the topic of work. Finally, I would demonstrate on saxophone how sound and melody of gypsy music look.
More informations
Aleksandar Sarovic
Professor of Saxophone and Clarinet
Belgrade
GYPSY MUSIC ON SAXOPHONE IN THE BALKANS
Summary: Most compositional works with gypsy motifs in European classical emerged in the era of romanticism. The term “gypsy music” has always included the specific manner in which Gypsies perform music of the people with whom they are in close contact, thus creating a special form and style of gypsy variant of local music. It’s the gypsy-way made musical culture for broad layers of the population, who enjoy the easy music performance and ticklish musical decorations. Gypsies have distinct sense of rhythm and melody, and frequently use augmented seconds intervals and improvisation in their music. Ferus Mustafov is one of the most famous Gypsy saxophonist. The point of gypsy music on saxophone is in the mouthpiece. They are making changes on it to get buzz, “ducky” sound, like zurla. They fill the mouthpiece with wax or plastic, so they can obtain much faster staccato. Their language technique is perfectly fast and that’s why they’re playing fast.
Key words: wind instruments, the roma spirit, romanticism, roma/gypsy music, the Balkans, adjustment, gypsy scale, musical decorations, improvisation, saxophone, mouthpiece, Ferus Mustafov
Anthropological functions of wind instruments (pipe)
With regard to the phallic symbolism of the pipe, due to its tubular appearance and magical influence of sound on procreation, fertility and renewal of life, the pipe is found at primitive societies in a large number of graves of many races, as a sign of belief in rebirth. Therefore, its role is important in many celebrations for fertility, as well as in burial customs in terms of reincarnation. (Gojković, 1994)
The sounds of the pipe were heard during funerals of ancient Hebrews, just as today, the Arab population of the northern coast of Africa mourns their dead people through various types of pipes.
Since most wind instruments are called under the general name of the pipe, regardless of whether it is labial, or with reed, the sound of Greek aulos, a wind instrument with reed from the oboe family, as well as the Roman tibia, was heard at funeral ceremonies. In addition, old Helen believed that pleasant sound of aulos can help in the treatment of epilepsy, gout, sciatica, or snake bites; because we should not forget that in ancient Greece influence of music in the therapy was of great significance.
The pipe has considered as a masculine instrument with regard to its tubular appearance, or phallic symbolism. It was also an instrument for the expression of feelings, love, courting the opposite sex, and as such was an instrument of man or young people. Unlike bone pipe, which was a warrior and military instrument for the ancient Incas, cane pipe was, at the same nation, only instrument of love, because of their fragility and gentle sound. In its general symbolism, fragility and flexibility, cane represents also the voice of the soul that is expressed, cr
Programming
10/07/2015 15:30 - 16:00
Cité de la musique et de la danse - Salle 19
Musicians / speakers
- Sarovic Aleksandar / Saxophon (Yougoslavia)
Videos