An Archive of Variants - Hampartsum Notation and Variability in the Transmission of Ottoman Art Music

Year 2023, Issue: 27, 30 - 48, 31.05.2023

Marco Dımıtrıou Semih Pelen

https://doi.org/10.56074/msgsusbd.1268824

Abstract

Especially Ottoman music culture is known to have a rich written music archive. A substantial part of the musical repertoire of Ottoman art music has been notated by various scribes in manuscripts using Hampartsum notation since its invention in the early 19th century until the 20th century. When those notebooks are compared, it is observable that they usually contain different versions of a piece of music. While there is often no explanation for these different versions, some variants are attributed to different composers or performers according to personal stylistic characteristics, while others are chronologically characterized as “old-new”. In addition, in some cases the notation was corrected by the scribe or a later hand, or notes were made about the quality of the present version. The fact that musicians educated in an oral tradition (meşk system), where repetition and imitation of the teacher are of great importance, made such evaluations during the written transmission of music cannot be considered independent from the practices of the oral tradition and provide important information about the underlying musical concepts. This study aims to examine the variability in Ottoman art music in the light of various examples selected from Hampartsum notebooks, in parallel with cultural paradigms.

Keywords

Music Manuscripts, Hampartsum Notation, Meşk, Ottoman Music, Versions

References

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