Cuban music, similar to Caribbean music, is largely a mixture of African and Spanish origins. Although the first Cuban musical forms were directly imported from Europe, music in Cuba began to see the gradual transformation of European and African forms as the distinction became obscure by the 18th century. There are many different kinds of Cuban music, including, Son, Guajira, Bolero, Rumba, Cha-cha-cha, etc., but Guyun: El Maestro is a slow traditional Cuban music with a feel of jazz and complex rhythmic patterns.
José Antonio Nico Rojas was born in Havana, Cuba, in 1921. As a civil engineer, guitarist, and composer, he was involved in the ‘Feeling’ movement of Cuban music, which combined Cuban rhythms with elements of North American Jazz elements in the 1940s and 1950s. Until 1964, when he recorded his first album “Suite Cubana para Guitarra,” he worked as an architect and took music only as one of his hobbies. However, he became more serious about composing and performing his pieces and influenced Cuban culture.
January 20, 2009
Brief Background of "Arirang for Gayageums with 18 and 25 Strings"
Korean music reached the ultimate peak around 15th century, but the Japanese invasion destroyed its tradition for almost 40 years. In 1945, Korean music was once again reestablished, but following the separation of South and North Korea, one culture was also split and developed its own unique characteristics. In South Korea after the separation, various type of music evolved, such as Pansori, a traditional singing performance with famous love stories and satires, Pungmul, one of Korea’s folk music, and Nongak, another type of Korean folk music that serves as a powerful superstition.
Arirang is one of Korean folk songs that are widely recognized not only in Korea, but in many other cultures. It is difficult to know exactly where and when Arirang first originated, but it is assumed to be the 19th century, when people began to experience realities and hardships of their lives. Today there are various versions of Arirang with modified melodies, rhythms, and refrains that appeal to many people in different regions and ages. This version, Arirang for Gayageums with 18 and 25 Strings, is played by two different kinds of zithers. Arirang is usually played or performed with refrains, but it has lately been played with different instruments and techniques.
Arirang is one of Korean folk songs that are widely recognized not only in Korea, but in many other cultures. It is difficult to know exactly where and when Arirang first originated, but it is assumed to be the 19th century, when people began to experience realities and hardships of their lives. Today there are various versions of Arirang with modified melodies, rhythms, and refrains that appeal to many people in different regions and ages. This version, Arirang for Gayageums with 18 and 25 Strings, is played by two different kinds of zithers. Arirang is usually played or performed with refrains, but it has lately been played with different instruments and techniques.
Pictures: Korean Music
Korean Music
Korean Farming, in which Korean farmers hummed the ryhthm of Arirang.
Structure
The two pieces, Arirang for Gayageums with 18 and 25 Strings and Guyun: El Maestro, have a similar tertiary structure of ABA’. Arirang for Gayageums with 18 and 25 Strings exactly follows ABA’ form with each section played in a unique Korean musical style. Section A starts from the beginning of the piece to 0:36. Although it is arranged differently in this piece, this section is usually chorus in other Arirang variations. In this section, the two gayageums play the main theme together, creating unified sound, but with the harmonic bass line accompanied at the same time. Also, there is a technique called arppegiation used not only in this section, but throughout the piece. For example, running notes that lead to the first note of the piece at the very beginning of the piece and another running notes at 0:05 are arppegiations found in this section A.
Section B is from 0:37 to 1:01. This section is the widely known melody of Arirang not only in Korean culture, but also in other cultures throughout the world. In this section as well, the two gayageums plays the theme together with harmonic bass line and some arppegiations. From 1:02 to 1:04 is the small transitional section, played at forte, and leads to the next section.
Section A’ is from 1:05 to 1:29 and is very similar to the first section A, only at a slightly faster tempo. There is no major difference from Section A and gives the similar mood, because it is still played with arppegiation.
Guyun: El Maestro is also similarly structured in ABA’ form, but with an introduction in the beginning and an exposition at the end of the piece. The introduction is from bar 1 to bar 5, played at an irregular tempo, with a marking of con libertia. For example, in the beggining, the piece starts adagio, but in bar 2 and 3, the tempo accelerates. Finally in bar 5, with the marking of ritardando, the tempo slows down.
Section B, from bar 24 to 31, uses the similar rhythm,
, throughout the section. Because the rhythm is fairly simple, the melody in this section is uncomplicated. Near the end of the section, another phrase uses another similar rhythm at a faster tempo, with triplet accompaniments, making a transition to the Section A’.
Section A’ is from bar 40 to 55. Although the same theme and melody is used as the first Section A, it is more embellished and complicated with more improvisations. For example, at bar 42, fast grace notes enrich the similar rhythm at bar 12 in Section A. After this bar, the rest of the section is played at another similar rhythm with 2 beats of half notes and the last beat of a quarter note. The effect of this repeated rhythm is that it leads to the end of the section and resolves on the long last note.
The coda is from 56 to the end of the piece. This section is interesting because the tempo varies within this section. For example, from bar 55 to 57, the phrase is played at a slow tempo, but the tempo accelerates at bar 58 and 59, with sixteenth notes. The last four bars of the piece are very relaxing at a slower tempo with arppegiation and end the piece peacefully.
Section B is from 0:37 to 1:01. This section is the widely known melody of Arirang not only in Korean culture, but also in other cultures throughout the world. In this section as well, the two gayageums plays the theme together with harmonic bass line and some arppegiations. From 1:02 to 1:04 is the small transitional section, played at forte, and leads to the next section.
Section A’ is from 1:05 to 1:29 and is very similar to the first section A, only at a slightly faster tempo. There is no major difference from Section A and gives the similar mood, because it is still played with arppegiation.
Guyun: El Maestro is also similarly structured in ABA’ form, but with an introduction in the beginning and an exposition at the end of the piece. The introduction is from bar 1 to bar 5, played at an irregular tempo, with a marking of con libertia. For example, in the beggining, the piece starts adagio, but in bar 2 and 3, the tempo accelerates. Finally in bar 5, with the marking of ritardando, the tempo slows down.
Section B, from bar 24 to 31, uses the similar rhythm,
, throughout the section. Because the rhythm is fairly simple, the melody in this section is uncomplicated. Near the end of the section, another phrase uses another similar rhythm at a faster tempo, with triplet accompaniments, making a transition to the Section A’.Section A’ is from bar 40 to 55. Although the same theme and melody is used as the first Section A, it is more embellished and complicated with more improvisations. For example, at bar 42, fast grace notes enrich the similar rhythm at bar 12 in Section A. After this bar, the rest of the section is played at another similar rhythm with 2 beats of half notes and the last beat of a quarter note. The effect of this repeated rhythm is that it leads to the end of the section and resolves on the long last note.
The coda is from 56 to the end of the piece. This section is interesting because the tempo varies within this section. For example, from bar 55 to 57, the phrase is played at a slow tempo, but the tempo accelerates at bar 58 and 59, with sixteenth notes. The last four bars of the piece are very relaxing at a slower tempo with arppegiation and end the piece peacefully.
Instrumentation
In both pieces, two different instruments from string family are used, one from eastern culture and one from western culture. The instrument from Arirang is called a gayageum, a traditional Korean zither. Zither is a name for a large group of string instruments, whose strings are stretched across a “sound-box.” They vary in shape, construction, number of strings, and tuning in both geographically and culturally. Zithers are usually plucked with fingers or a plectrum, or struck with beaters. In Korea, there are several kinds of gayageums, but as the title states, two gayageums with 18 and 25 strings are used in Arirang for Gayageums with 18 and 25 Strings.
In Guyun: El Maestro, the soft sound of the guitar strings reveals that a classical guitar with nylon strings is used to perform the piece. The classical guitar has been around in one form or the other for thousands of years. However, it was in the Middle Ages when it became popular for poetry and singing performances and replaced a lute, an instrument that was popular earlier in history. The Renaissance and Baroque periods were particularly significant for classical guitars because there were various types of them used in different regions. The Baroque guitars also resembled ones that are prevalent today with softer sounds.
In Guyun: El Maestro, the soft sound of the guitar strings reveals that a classical guitar with nylon strings is used to perform the piece. The classical guitar has been around in one form or the other for thousands of years. However, it was in the Middle Ages when it became popular for poetry and singing performances and replaced a lute, an instrument that was popular earlier in history. The Renaissance and Baroque periods were particularly significant for classical guitars because there were various types of them used in different regions. The Baroque guitars also resembled ones that are prevalent today with softer sounds.
Tone Colour
The two pieces, Arirang for Gayageums with 18 and 25 Strings and Guyun: El Maestro, have a similar tone colour. Tone colour, also known as timbre, is a term that describes the quality of sound in music. Both pieces are performed at adagio tempo with similar string instruments. So they deliver similar soft and mellow tone colour to listeners.
General Tempo
Arirang for Gayageums with 18 and 25 Strings and Guyun: El Maestro are both written in 3/4 time at adagio. The two pieces use different techniques that change tempo, such as ritardando and accelerando, but the overall tempo is adagio. For example, ritardando is found from 0:00 to 0:34 and from 1:00 to 1:05 in Arirang for Gayageums with 18 and 25 Strings and at bar 5, 21, 38, 54, 58, and 62 in Guyun: El Maestro. Also, accelerando is found at 0:38 in Arirang for Gayageums with 18 and 25 Strings and at bar 32 in Guyun: El Maestro.
Texture
Musical texture refers to how many different layers of sound are heard at once, to what kind of layers they are, and to how they are related to each other. There are three kinds of musical textures, which are monophonic, homophonic, and polyphonic texture. Monophonic texture is a single melodic line without accompaniment, while homophonic texture is one main melody that is accompanied by chords. And lastly, polyphonic is simultaneous performance of two or more melodic lines of relatively equal interest produces the texture.
Although one gayageum uses arppegiation for ornamentation, for example at 0:01 and 0:06, Arirang for Gayageums with 18 and 25 Strings uses monophonic texture. The two gayageums simultaneously play the melody at the same time. When more than one instrument plays a single melodic line at the same pitch, it gives a fuller, richer sounding monophonic texture.
Different from Arirang for Gayageums with 18 and 25 Strings, Guyun: El Maestro uses homophonic texture. Although one guitar plays the piece, the chords arranged and arppegiation played by the guitar gives a feeling of homophonic texture. For example at bar 6, arppegiation is used on the second beat of the bar for ornamentation and at bar 7, the chord in the first beat of the bar sounds like accompanying the following notes in the bar. The effect of homophonic texture is that harmony that accompanies the melody strengthens the expressive quality of the melody.
Although one gayageum uses arppegiation for ornamentation, for example at 0:01 and 0:06, Arirang for Gayageums with 18 and 25 Strings uses monophonic texture. The two gayageums simultaneously play the melody at the same time. When more than one instrument plays a single melodic line at the same pitch, it gives a fuller, richer sounding monophonic texture.
Different from Arirang for Gayageums with 18 and 25 Strings, Guyun: El Maestro uses homophonic texture. Although one guitar plays the piece, the chords arranged and arppegiation played by the guitar gives a feeling of homophonic texture. For example at bar 6, arppegiation is used on the second beat of the bar for ornamentation and at bar 7, the chord in the first beat of the bar sounds like accompanying the following notes in the bar. The effect of homophonic texture is that harmony that accompanies the melody strengthens the expressive quality of the melody.
Style
The different musical texture of the two pieces delivers different mood and style to listeners. The monophonic texture of Arirang for Gayageums with 18 and 25 Strings makes the style of the piece simple. Although there is arppegiation as ornamentation, but the unison sound of the two gayageums makes the piece simple and uncomplicated.
Different from Arirang for Gayageums with 18 and 25 Strings, Guyun: El Maestro’s style is elaborate and complicated. With various chord constructions, complex rhythmic and melodic elements of Cuban traditional music enrich the style of the piece. Moreover, the piece incorporates elements of jazz, specifically the improvisatory elements, and combines with a free rhythm that is liberally played by the performer.
Different from Arirang for Gayageums with 18 and 25 Strings, Guyun: El Maestro’s style is elaborate and complicated. With various chord constructions, complex rhythmic and melodic elements of Cuban traditional music enrich the style of the piece. Moreover, the piece incorporates elements of jazz, specifically the improvisatory elements, and combines with a free rhythm that is liberally played by the performer.
Time Signature
Both Arirang for Gayageums with 18 and 25 Strings and Guyun: El Maestro is written in 3/4. However, in Guyun: El Maestro, there is one place where time signature changes at bar 9 from 3/4 to 2/4. The effect of this is that the two quarter chords give a feeling of inclination move onto the next phrase that starts with 3/4 again.
Conclusion
This Musical Investigation was a great opportunity for me to learn two different pieces, Arirang for Gayageums with 18 and 25 Strings and Guyun: El Maestro, in depth and draw significant similarities and differences. These two culturally different pieces have considerable differences, such as texture, style, and time signature. However, there were a number of similarities that made these pieces relate to one another. The major similarity was that the structure of the two pieces was ABA’ form and melodic phrases were played with similar tone colour and tempo in each section. These similarities linked the two different pieces together and made their relationship much stronger.
Word Count: 1867
Bibliography
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Ganguly, Poushali. (2008). South Korean Culture. Buzzle.com. Retrieved January 6, 2009 from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/south-korean-culture.html
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Musical Instruments. (2000). Bulgaria: Kibea Company.
Jeongseon Arirang School. (2003). Arirang. Retrieved January 6, 2009 from http://www.arirangschool.com/about.html
Lusk, Jon. (2008). Nico Rojas: Guitarist and composer who mixed Cuban rhythms with Jazz. The Independent. Retrieved from January 6, 2009 from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/nico-rojas-guitarist-and-composer-whomixed-cuban-rhythms-with-jazz-1048762.html
Mauleon, Rebeca. (2008). Cuba. National Geographic. Retrieved January 6, 2009 from http://worldmusic.nationalgeographic.com/worldmusic/view/page.basic/country/content.country/cuba_11
Naxos. (2009). Rojas, Nico Biography. Retrieved January 6, 2009 from http://www.naxos.com/composerinfo/Nico_Rojas/21456.htm
Roger Kamien. (2008). Music An Appreciation. New York: McGraw-Hill.
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