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LJJ < > K. _1 68411 ?m ^ OQ OSMANIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARY No Gall Na?fJ <?/3 SfjL J ^Accession /7 / ?f Authoi Title ^ This book should be returned on or before the date last markedlaeiQw, HISTORICAL FACTS FOR THE ARABIAN MUSICAL INFLUENCE MUSICAL WORKS. List extracted from Reeves' Musical Literature Catalogue B. ARABIC MUSICAL MANUSCRIPTS IN THE BODLEIAN LIBRARY. Plato of tw:> Musical Instruments from early Arabic Manuscripts. By H. G. FARMER, M.A., Ph.D. 8vo, sewed, 3s. THE RISE AND DEVELOPMENT OF MILITARY MUSIC. II By Dr. G. FARMER. With illustrations of Early In- struments and Musical Examples, and Short Biographi- cal Notices of the Staff Bandmasters, Preface by Lieut. A. WILLIAMS, M.V.O., Mus.Doc., Bandmaster of Grena- dier Guards. Crown 8vo, cloth, 5s. ORGAN OF THE ANCIENTS: From Eastern Sources (He- brew, Syriac and Arabic). With numerous Illustra- tions. By Dr. H. G. FARMER. 8vo, cloth. 1930. MUSIC AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS OF THE ARAB. With Introduction on How to Appreciate Arab Music. By FRANCESCO SALVADOR-DANIEL, Director, Paris Con- servatoire of Music, 1871. Edited with Notes, Memoir, Bibliography and thirty Examples and Illustrations. By Dr. H. G. FARMER. Crown 8vo, cloth, 6s. THE MUSIC OF THE MOST ANCIENT NATIONS. Particu- larly of the Assyrians, Egyptians and Hebrews, with special reference to Discoveries in Western Asia and in Egypt. By CARL ENGEL. With numerous Illustrations and Index*. Thick 8vo, cloth, 18s. The above is a re-issue of the original work, but has added illustrations of the harp from Ur in situ, and as re- stored 1928, and of the trumpet from the tomb of King Tut-ankh-Amen discovered 1926. STORY OF INDIAN MUSIC AND ITS INSTRUMENTS. A Study of the Present and a Record of the Past. To- gether with Sir William Jones's celebrated Treatise in full. With 19 Plates, chiefly of Instruments, 7 Music Illustrations and a Map. By ETHEL ROSBNTHAL, A.R.C.M., F.R.G.S. Crown 8vo, cloth, 7s. 6d. REEVES' MUSICAL LITERATURE LIST (CATALOGUE B) CONTAINING SECTIONS ON : JEstheticSj Biography, Criticism, Essays, History, Orchestra, Organ, Piano, Technical and Theoretical, Violin, Vocal, Wagner, Miscellaneous, and Reeves' Tutors. Post free on application. WILLIAM REEVES 83 CHARING CROSS ROAD, BOOKSELLER LIMITED LONDON, W.C.2. STUDIES IN THE MUSIC OF THE MIDDLE AGES HISTORICAL FACTS FOR THE ARABIAN MUSICAL INFLUENCE BY HENRY GEORGE FARMER M.A,, Ph.D, Author of "A History of Arabian Music." " The Arabian Influence on Musical Theory/' " The Arabic Musical MSS. in the Bodleian Library." " The Ortfan of the Ancients: From Eastern Sources. (Hebrew, Syriac and Arabic.}" "The Influence of Music: From Arabic Sources." WILLIAM REEVES 83 CHASING CROSS ROAD, BOOKSELLER LIMITED LONDON, W.C.2 tbe flDcmon? of m\> Ifatber ano flDotber FBINTED BI THK NBW TKMFLE FKESS, NOBBUKT, LONDON, QBKAT BRITAIK. FOREWORD. "Man yatul dhailuhuyata' fflii." .In Arabic Proverb. of the most deplorable things in history, said Dr. W. the author of "The Intellectual ONE J. Draper, Development of Europe," is the systematic way in \\hich European writers have contrived to put out of sight the scientific obligations to the Arabs. This was substantially true at the time it was written, but nowadays no person, save the merest tyro, can afford to adopt such an attitude. Specialised research has allocated the pre- cise position of the Arabs in the culture history of Mediae- val Europe. In three of the courses of the quadrivium or mathcsis, that is to say, in arithmetic, geometry and as- tronomy, we now know quite definitely that if it had not bem for the improvements, discoveries and inventions of the Arabs, these sciences, in Europe, would have been much slower in their evolution. Concerning the remain- ing course of the qnadrrcium, that is "music," no one had attempted to demonstrate the definite position of this Arabian science and art in the cultural development of Europe. I essayed to fill in this hiatus meanwhile, in a " monograph, entitled [Clues for] The Arabian Influence on Musical Theory," 7 in which I furnished a number of 1 Written in ]&?]. Delivered as a lecture before the Glasgow University Oriental Society, October, 1923. Published in the "Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society," Part I, 1925. Re-issued as a pamphlet by Harold Reeves, London, February, 1925. 1* vi FOREWORD. "clues" in a carefully documented way. Savants from many parts of the globe interested themselves in the dis- cussion, some, indeed, with helpful suggestions, for which I am very grateful. In this country, Miss Kathleen Schlesinger made a contribution to the discussion in a " pamphlet entitled Is European Musical Theory Indebted ? Musi- to the Arabs ; Reply to The Arabian Influence on 2 cal Theory." I said in my monograph that if my work aroused suffi- cient interest and discussion, 1 would be prepared to deal with the question in a more extended and permanent way. The criticisms of Miss Schlesinger and others urged me to carry out my promise, and the present work is a part-fulfilment of this. I say part-fulfilment, because the most important section of my monograph, that on "Mensural Music," has not yet received attention. My monograph comprised only twenty pages of letterpress, " " the first ten of which dealt with clues for the Arabian " influence in: (i) Musical Instruments," (2) "Discant," " (3) "Organum," (4) Laws of Consonances," (5) "Sol- " feggio," and (6) Instrumental Tablature," whilst the en- " suing ten pages were devoted, almost entirely, to (/) Men- sural Music," save for a few lines about (8) "Notation." Obviously, the most important contribution concerned "Mensural Music," as the London "Times" was careful 5 enough to notice. Yet Miss Schlesinger had no words for my carefully documented "clues" on this question, nor even a nod of recognition for my discovery, * Published originally in the "Musical Standard," May 2 and 1C, 1925, and re-issued as a pamphlet by Harold Reeves, London. ^ "The Times Literary Supplement," February 5, 1925, p. 90, d. FOREWORD. vii not only philologically but musically, of the hocket 1* in the Arabic tyd'at. She devoted her attention to the relatively minor questions enumerated above. In justice to this writer I must, however, admit that she had reasons for this omission, for she says : "The question of the acceptance of an Arab rather than a Greek origin of 'Mensural Music' is a weighty matter which must be left to those who have made a specialised study of the subject." At the outset, let me say that Miss Schlesinger was very appreciative of my monograph, and more than once paid a compliment to "the great value of the research work ' accomplished/' 1 5 At the same time, she made definite strictures, and fundamental historical facts were chal- lenged, and in view of that I contributed a "reply" in the pages of "The Musical Standard" entitled "Facts for the Arabian Musical Influence." 6 Thereupon, Miss Schlesinger made a "counter-reply" under the title, "The Greek Foundations of the Theory of Music." 7 On account of the fresh ground that was being broken, the discussion attracted still further attention, and finally " I was asked to reprint my articles on the Facts for the 4 The musical identity was dealt with later by Professor Julian " " Ribera in his I.a Musica de las Cantigas" (1922) and Historia '* de la Musica Arabe Mediaeval y su Influencia en la Espaiiola " (1927). Dr. Robert Lachmann, the author of Musik dea Ori- " ents" (1929) informs me that my clues'* on the musical side are being followed up by a German musico-Orientalist. 3 -'Pp. ? 15, 16, 17, 18. " Musical Standard" (1925-26), Vol. XXVII, Nos. 477 to 489. ? " Musical Standard (1926), Vol. XXVII, Nos. 479 to 490. viii FOREWORD. Arabian Musical Influence" in book form. This I could not do very well without taking cognisance of Miss Schlesinger's "counter-reply," and the difficulty was to combine the two. Fortunately, Mr. William Reeves agreed " to reprint the Facts," together with a number of Ap- pendices which would enable me to deal with Miss " Schlesinger's counter-reply/' Thanks to the energy of Mr. Reeves, the "Facts" were reprinted by the close of 1926, but, unfortunately, owing to indifferent health, other literary work, and the more press- ing demands of one's vocation, the final Appendices were not completed until spring, 1929. Indeed, I feel that it is incumbent upon me to take this opportunity of acknow- ledging my indebtedness to both the publishers and printers for their extreme leniency and courtesy in this matter. " To enable my readers to appreciate what the Arabian Influence" really means, Chapter I has been specially written as an introduction to what follows. Chapter II to Chapter VIII comprise the "Facts" as they ap- " peared as articles in The Musical Standard." They have been revised in places, typographical errors corrected, Miss Schlesinger quoted in full when necessary (primarily to meet her objections), and some sentences rewritten so as to " " make my meaning clearer. The Facts themselves re- " main, however, precisely as they appeared in The Musi- cal Standard."* In the forty-eight Appendices I have " *I have omitted the article on The Question of Consonances." Miss Schlesinger admitted ("Musical Standard," XXVII, p. 177) that she had made a mistake in her calculations in her pamphlet (pp. 9-10). No purpose could therefore be served in reprinting the article, which dealt mainly with the point raised. FOREWORD. ix dealt at length with Miss Schlesinger's "counter-reply" entitled "The Greek Foundations of the Theory of Music." As the author of the "Precursors of the Violin Fam- " " ily and of the numerous articles in the Encyclopaedia Britannica" (eleventh edition), I have a high regard for Miss Schlesinger's gifts in matters of research, and in the history of musical instruments she has probably done the most creditable pioneer work in Britain.

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