Tuvan Throat Singing and Gioachino Rossini

Tuvan Throat Singing and
Gioachino Rossini
Patrick Winters McCarthy
Tyva
Demographics
● Population: 308,491
● Ethnicities
○ 77% Tuvan
○ 20.1% Russian
○ 2.9% Other
● Religions
○ Siberian Shamanism
○ Tibetan Lamaism
(Buddhism)
● Land Mass: 170,500 sq. km.
● Geographical Influences:
○ East: forested, elevated
○ West: dry lowland
○ Center of Asia
History
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Chinese/Mongolian rulers
Part of Chinese Empire from 1757-1911
Conquered by Tsarist Russia
Independance claimed by Tannu Tuva
People’s Republic in 1921
Annexed by Soviet Union in 1944
○ autonomous oblast (region)
largely unknown to the West until
Richard Feynman travelled there
○ Tuva or Bust
horses
nomadic herdsmen - sheep, goat, yak
yurts
spiritual connection with nature
Xöömei - Tuvan Throat Singing
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two or more pitches
simultaneously
compared to a bagpipe
low drone
manipulations of the
throat → break up the
tone into the overtones
amplifying those needed
to create a melody
sounds of nature
○ thus, the close
spiritual connection
Sygyt
(sigit)
[suh-gut]
high-pitched; whistle;
summer breeze or birds
Xoomei
(khoomei)
[her-may]
mid-range; airy whistle;
wind swirling above
rocks
Kargyraa
(kargiraa)
[kar-guh-rah]
low-pitch; sounds of
camels
Borbangnadyr
(borbannadir)
[bor-bong-nah-dur]
trill, rolling style;
bubbling stream or
rolling rapids
Ezenggileer
(ezengileer)
[eh-zen-ghi-lair]
pulsing rhythm;
trotting horse
Links
How it works
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Harmonics
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within a tone there are a number
of overtones that give the sound its
uniqueness; just not as prominent
as the tone heard
● fundamental pitch - f
○ 2f, 3f, 4f…
ex. vibrating string
Essentially, a standing wave is created
in the throat. Harmonics are produced
by changing the shape of the throat,
mouth, lips, and other parts, to amplify
certain overtones while cancelling
others out.
Igil
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two-stringed
teardrop-shaped
held between the legs
played like a cello
horse-head fiddle
wood
horse hair
unfretted
tuned a fifth apart
“Ekki Attar” (Good Horses)
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Alash Ensemble
Four member vocal group
One igil
Driving rhythm - allegro;
evoking imagery of galloping
horse
Ordinary unison melodic line
Polyphonic throat singing
Drone with high-pitched
melody
Trill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeMH_wJ4H-8
Gioachino Antonio Rossini
Gioachino Antonio Rossini
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1792-1868
born in Pesaro, Italy
son of a horn player and singer
moved to Bologna, where he
received his first music lessons
by age 10, he could perform
accompaniment and church
music
operas, church music, and
chamber music
Music, Influences, and more
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Chevalier Giusti helped prepare him for
formal education
Entered Bologna Liceo Communale
○ studied under Padre Stanislao Mattei
■ disagreement over styles
■ Rossini eager to start
composing on his own
first opera at 18
○ La cambiale di matrimonio
composed for city of Naples (1815-1822)
○ unbroken series of operas
○ idol to Neapolitans
affair with Isabella Colbran
○ prima donna (chief female singer)
○ wrote operas to suit her “florid,
dramatic style of singing.”
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1820s - Internationally Known
○ Cenerentola and series of
cantatas for the Congress of
Vienna
○ 1823 - musical director of the
Theatre Italien
○ 1826 - wrote for Paris Opera
○ government of France awarded
him title of Premier Compositeur
du Roi and Inspecteur Général
du chant en France
last opera: Guillaume Tell (1829)
1864: Petite Messe Solennelle - choral
work
died in November 1868
○ funeral was a state affair
Guillaume Tell (William Tell)
The Swiss hero William Tell longs to
liberate his people from the cruel
Austrian occupation. When he helps a
Swiss prisoner escape Austrian justice
he comes to the attention of the
governor Gesler – who sadistically
forces Tell to shoot an apple off his
son's head.
As Tell is arrested his fellow
revolutionaries, led by the young
patriot Arnold and his Austrian lover
Mathilde, gather forces to fight for
Swiss liberty. Tell escapes in time to
lead the victorious uprising.
-Royal Opera House
William Tell Overture - Finale
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Full orchestra
Part of much larger operatic
work
Purely instrumental
Galloping cavalry charge
Driving rhythm - allegro
Contrast bass vs. soprano
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoHECVnQC7A
Primary Link
Driving rhythm; galloping theme; evoking images of horses
Secondary Link
Prominence of the soprano-versus-bass contrast
Similarities
● Similar tempos: allegro (165-180 BPM)
● Repeated/unison motif of the galloping theme
● Intent to convey a story or idea
● Continuous
● fast, trill-like rhythms in the uppermost voices
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William Tell Overture
Full orchestra
Purely instrumental
Part of a larger operatic work
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Ekki Attar
4 singers; one of whom plays the igil
Primarily vocal
Single piece
Bibliography/Picture References
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http://www.everyculture.com/Russia-Eurasia-China/Tuvans-Religion-and-Expressive-Culture.html
http://www.refworld.org/docid/49749cb6c.html
http://www.shamanism.org/articles/article08.html
http://www.britannica.com/place/Tyva
http://www.alashensemble.com/about_tts.html
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/Gurvger.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dd/Flag_of_the_Qing_dynasty_(1889-1912).svg/2000pxFlag_of_the_Qing_dynasty_(1889-1912).svg.png
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qing_dynasty#/media/File:Qing_Dynasty_1820.png
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d4/Imperial_Standard_of_the_Emperor_of_Russia_
(1858%E2%80%931917).svg/2000px-Imperial_Standard_of_the_Emperor_of_Russia_(1858%E2%80%931917).svg.png
http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/ru-ty_h.html
http://www.alashensemble.com/about_tts.htm
http://cnx.org/contents/5612e514-585d-4327-abdf-d1a6aad41d6c@20/Harmonic-Series
http://www.khoomei.com/harmonic.html
http://www.khoomeiji.narod.ru/overtone_e.html
http://www.rhythmuseum.com/arjuna/throatsinging.html
http://www.carnegiehall.org/BlogPost.aspx?id=4294994445
http://www.alashensemble.com/instruments.htm
http://www.naxos.com/person/Gioachino_Rossini/26313.htm
http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/rossini.php
http://assets4.classicfm.com/2012/16/rossini3-1334755398-article-0.jpg
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51R1S8yEglL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
http://www.rpo.org/UserFiles/Link/Rossini.pdf
Bibliography/Picture References
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http://www.utexas.edu/cola/slavic/events/event.php?id=35627
http://www.britannica.com/biography/Gioachino-Rossini
http://www.britannica.com/place/Tyva
http://www.khoomei.com/whatwhere.htm
http://www.redefinemag.com/2013/tuvan-throat-singing-musicality-spirituality-cross-cultural-place/
http://www.pavelfilatov.com/gall/Tuva/mini.php
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703555804576102130512826172
http://www.onlinesheetmusic.com/finale-from-the-william-tell-overture-score-p357351.aspx
http://www.cntraveller.com/guides/europe/italy/bologna/what-to-see
https://jcreore.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/p1000286_2.jpg
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/s9dbAfjlrks/maxresdefault.jpg
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/media/image/j/i/Cumulus_2.jpg
http://fohn.net/camel-pictures-facts/the-pictures/Arabian-Camel-1280x1024.jpg
https://www.lawnstarter.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/water.jpg
http://www.theequinest.com/images/bald-face.jpg
http://www.natgeocreative.com/comp/04/485/1141153.jpg
http://www.italianways.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/operafestival4.jpg
http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-media/27/154527-004-3E32DE12.jpg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZzTv0Sb4Zg
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Z_4-DqyakNo/maxresdefault.jpg
http://www.lesarts.com/docs/2011/07/14/15160002_51_9_0_gra.jpg
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41SP6VW7WCL.jpg
http://www.operationworld.org/files/ow/maps/lgmap/ital-MMAP-md.png
http://www.roh.org.uk/articles/guillaume-tell-digital-programme-the-story
http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5314f6d4e4b000ec7f85af5f/t/537d414ce4b0dd59d7f5f6ec/1400717645007/?