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As part of the “Composer Platform”, the 18th Abu Dhabi Music Festival, with the theme of “The Future Begins Now”, announced its support/recognition of a historic innovation in the field of Arab music: Maqam system of micro-tone chords.
The system was invented by Qoutayba Neaimi, a Belgian-Iraqi composer and researcher who specializes in Western and Arabic music, and allows the use of the maqam scale system (including fine-tuning 3/4 tones) to compose chord music. The system can be applied to every Arab and Eastern Muqam, thus retaining the rich characteristics of Arab music and linking the musical heritage of Western and Middle Eastern civilizations.
Huda Ibrahim Al Khamis, founder of Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation (ADMAF) and founder and artistic director of Abu Dhabi Music Festival, said:
“The Abu Dhabi Music Festival continues to invest in various forms of creativity. We are very happy to introduce to the world a discovery that will open the door to a new era of music. A true innovation, the Polyphonic Maqam system will change the understanding of Arabic music by musicians all over the world. Supporting the invention of Qoutayba Al Neaimi is an important part of our mission to cultivate Arab musical heritage and build bridges between different cultures. The new system transcends different musical heritages and traditions, giving all orchestras the opportunity to play polyphony For the first time in the maqam repertoire.”
QoutaybaNeaimi commented on this achievement: “This innovation provides solutions to problems that have attracted the interest and attention of Eastern music theorists and researchers for centuries. The non-tuned scales of Eastern music (including the typical three-quarter fine-tuning of the Middle East) allow highly complex and ingenious melodic development, but are difficult to coordinate. The Microtonal Polyphonic Maqam system provides a reasonable, scientific and acoustical solution to this problem. To this day, it has become possible to use the diversity of Eastern Arabic scales and retain its fine-tuning dimension to create polyphonic music works with authentic Arabic characteristics. “
Milestone music achievement
The invention of the writing system of Eastern and Arabic scale polyphony (simultaneous multi-voice) is a historic achievement that connects the musical heritage of the Middle East with Western civilization, and provides a scientific solution to the coordination problem of fine-tuning maqams. The innovative Microtonal Polyphonic Maqam system allows to write chord music in every Arabic and Eastern Maqam. It will enable Arab music to be spread more widely and deepen the understanding and appreciation of Arab music among Western audiences. This system allows music to bridge the gap between civilizations and promote peace and tolerance more than ever before.
It is well known throughout history that the Arab world has established treaties dealing with music from the perspectives of philosophy, art, and science. The legacy of Al Kindi, Al Farabi and Ibn Sina still bears witness to the level of intellectual, scientific and artistic progress achieved by Arab and Islamic civilizations. As early as the 9th century, the Arabs were the first to try harmony in these civilizations. Neaimi’s system builds on this tradition and enriches it with a breakthrough invention that combines harmony with maqams (with its characteristic fine-tuned three-quarter tones) for the first time.
The Abu Dhabi Music Festival and the Qoutayba Foundation organized 3 seminars to introduce the chord Maqam system. The three-day seminar will be held in three different countries: Belgium in December, France in January and Egypt in February. Led by Qoutayba Al Neaimi, the seminar focused on the operation of the new system. Participating students will understand the main feature of maqam, which is the combination of Eastern and Western music.
The New World of Arabic Music
Dr. Naseer Shamma, world-renowned agarwood player, Comment: “Qoutayba Neaimi is a true artist who can solve the musical dilemma that has plagued Middle Eastern musicians and researchers since the Al-Kindi era. It must be remembered that the emergence of Eastern harmony is a feat of Al-Kindi, He suggests two-part harmony by playing the first and third sounds of the scale together, which produces pleasing results. That’s why I think Qoutayba’s music system is these dating back more than a thousand years. The extension and realization of the ancient experience. Today, it is undeniable that Arabic music and theory are part of the global harmony structure, and QoutaybaNeaimi has played a key role in this great realization.”
Maestro Abd Al Razzaq Al Azzawi, composer, researcher and conductor of the Iraqi National Philharmonic Orchestra, Emphasizes “This innovation heralds the birth of a new and unprecedented vision in the Arab music world, especially because we can use it to create modern music while retaining the identity of the East and the Arab Muqam. This is a global music story. A historic moment in China; QoutaybaNeaimi’s system is a service and artistic enrichment not only for us in the Arab and Middle East but also for the entire world.”
Comment on Neaimi’s musical model, said world-renowned violinist Alexander Markov: “He provides a unique and creative fusion of Western and Middle Eastern music systems. The most striking element is the successful coordination of non-harmonic intervals (three quarters). I look forward to discovering new works for the orchestra. These works It will be produced according to Neaimi’s system. This is an amazing achievement and an opportunity for Arab, Middle Eastern and European cultural musicians to collaborate.”
“This system paved the way for Eastern Muqam’s polyphonic writing. It provides a new way for musicians of all backgrounds to explore new horizons. This innovative system is unique, inspiring and valuable for global music repertoire. add,” Said Claude Ledoux, Professor of Music Analysis at the National Conservatory of Music (CNSMDP) in Paris.
Cultural cooperation
Arab and Western musicians can use Al Neaimi’s Microtonal Polyphonic Maqam system to open up new perspectives of cultural cooperation. This is a great tool for composers who wish to develop universal polyphonic repertoire. This is also an opportunity to develop new repertoires with pure Arabic music characteristics (such as chamber music and orchestras, operas, etc.) that can be performed by all musicians from all over the world on a global scale.
This new music system provides a solution to a problem that has never been solved, allowing to play chord music (several different melodies at the same time) in every existing Maqam. It will allow Arab music to spread more widely and develop Western audiences’ understanding of Arab music. With this system, music will fulfill its mission more than ever before, which is to build bridges between civilizations and promote peace and tolerance.
The 18th Abu Dhabi Festival was supported by its main partner Mubadala Investment Company (Mubadala) and energy partner GS Energy.
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