| Uniform title | Polyphonies et polyrythmies instrumentales d'Afrique centrale. English |
| Contents |
Book I. The music of the Central African Republic. General introduction. Geographical survey ; Survey of the country's ethnic groups ; Acculturation and the vitality of music -- The general features of traditional music. General characteristics ; The social functions of music ; Music, speech, dance ; Language and music ; Oral literature and music ; The musician ; Musical apprenticeship -- Typology. Vocal and instrumental music ; Formal structures ; Rhythm and tempo ; Plurivocality ; Scale systems ; Musical instruments ; Vocal and instrumental timbres ; Repertoires -- Book II. African polyphonic music. A classification of African polyphonies. Multi-part, non-polyphonic procedures ; Polyphony and polyrhythm ; Polyphonic and polyrhythmic procedures in the Central African Republic -- Previous studies: the present state of the subject. Travellers' tales and diverse descriptions ; Specialist studies -- Book III. Technical tools: methods of recording polyphonic music for transcription. The need for transcription -- The difficulties of transcription -- Earlier methods. Performing ; Special apparatus ; Cinematographic techniques ; Sound recording on separate channels -- Towards a new method -- Theoretical assumptions -- Technical equipment: description and use. Equipment ; The recording process ; Recording polyphonic instruments ; Recording heterogeneous ensembles ; Ascertaining the temporal reference -- From recording to transcription -- Checking the results -- Potentialities -- Anthropological validity -- Book IV. Theoretical tools. The notion of relevance. What is relevance? ; Approaches to relevance ; Equivalence classes ; Aspects and levels of relevance ; Equivalence classes ; Aspects and levels of relevance ; Relevance for the purposes of transcription -- Description and analysis. Defining the problem ; Segmentation procedures ; Proving the validity of analysis -- The question of transcription. The limits of written notation ; Towards a relevant transcription ; Notation ; Defining a score of music from an oral tradition ; Defining a part in oral polyphony -- Book V. The organization of time in African music. A brief survey of Western rhythmics. A terminological ambiguity ; A la recherché du temps perdu -- Towards a precise terminology. Proposed definitions -- African rhythmics. On music based on the tactus ; On applying western solfege to African music -- Book VI. Structural principles and their application. Typology. Strict polyrhythmics ; Hocket polyphony ; Polyphony produced by melodic instruments ; Vocal polyphony -- Analytical notions. Are central African pentatonic systems modes? ; Vertical organization ; Analysis. Principles ; Parameters ; Levels ; Representation by model -- Principle of notation. Pitches ; Duration -- Strict polyrhythmics. Periodicity and the fundamental characteristics of rhythm. Pure rhythmics ; Fundamental characteristics ; Periodicity -- Rhythmic organization. The constituent features of rhythmic figures ; How rhythmic features combine ; Realizations, variations and models -- Polyrhythmics. Definition and general characteristics ; Methodological principles ; Forms of interweaving ; Variations ; Formal recognition: how polyrhythmic combinations are identified -- Polyrhythmics as a way to polyphony: hocket. Definition and general characteristics ; The organization of Banda-Linda horn orchestras ; The structure of the music for Banda-Linda horn orchestras. Instrumental hocket ; The relationship between instrumental hocket and vocal music -- Polyphony produced by melodic instruments. Definition and general characteristics ; The xylophones. The pit xylophone ; The portable xylophone with multiple resonators -- The sanza ; The harp -- The association of polyphony and polyrhythmics. General characteristics ; Instrumental polyphony with a rhythmic substructure ; Instrumental polyphony with a polyrhythmic substructure. |
| Abstract |
In this detailed study the author takes a new and original approach to the understanding of the complex and sophisticated patterns of polyphony and polyrhythm that characterize African music. Considering in particular the harp, sanza, xylophone and percussion music of Central Africa, the author develops a rigorous method for the analysis of the music and for the recording and deciphering of the many strands of polyphony and polyrhythm. Through a systematic breakdown of the many layers of apparently improvised rhythm he reveals the essential structure which underlies this rich and complex music. Inspired also by linguistic techniques, Professor Arom regards the music very much as a grammatical system. |
| General note | Translation of: Polyphonies et polyrythmies instrumentales d'Afrique centrale. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (pages 660-668) and index. |
| LCCN | 90046665 |
| ISBN | 052124160X |
| ISBN | 2735103781 (hardback, France only) |
