Cultural heritage Enchanting

sounds of Balaban Saadat ABDULLAYEVA, Professor of Baku Musical Academy

According to written sources in the territory of Azerbaijan there used to be more than 20 wind mu- sical instruments differing from each other on construction, means of sound extraction and sounding. According to mod- ern classification they referred to lip (ney, ksul, yan-tutek, nay, musigar, kelenay, mizmar, tutek, burbug), uvular (sumsu, sumsu- balaban, tulum, shapbir-bal- aban, balaban, zurna, argan) and mouthpiece (bug, burgu, gavdum, karanay, nefir, shakh- nefir, sheypur) types of wind in- struments.

ess than the half of musical in- the most delicate, velvet, extraor- names “balaman”, “mey”, or “duduk”. struments mentioned above dinarily lyrical and singing sound, Balaban is one of the ancient wind Lare used today, but widely often it is yasti-balaban because of instruments of Azerbaijani people. Its spread among them are balaban, its flattening cane. In Nakhchivan, name is mentioned in the epos of zurna, tutek, ney and tulum. Among Ganja-Gazakh and Karabag zones “Kitabi Dede Gorgud”, in the verses of the last ones, balaban is the one with of Azerbaijan it is famous under the classics of Azerbaijani poetry.

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sounds of Balaban Saadat ABDULLAYEVA, Balaban consists of stem, cane, the functional (bash perde – first of 10mm. The wooden branch is cut Professor of Baku Musical Academy regulator and cap. shah perde – fourth open perde, on longitudinal direction into two Stem is a hollow cylindrical pipe sixth foot perde, - eighth, back parts. After polishing and softening with the length of 280-320mm, perde – face), intonational (segah in boiled water bent ends of the tree made of (the process is called “to perde – second and fifth mahur are joined between each other with draw balaban”) apricot (advanta- perde, - seventh and others) and threads and are worn approximately geously), nuts, pear, mulberry, cor- acoustic (nizam perdesi) features of to the mid of the cane. nel, cheery-plum (wild) trees as well the instrument. During the movement of it up as of unabi. The upper part of the stem is put and down around the mouthpiece, The upper end of the stem (bash, a cane (gamish, gargi, dil) which is they change the length of its vibrat- kup) is given a ball form and the made of cane, growing in waterless ing part and by it they change the lower end (ayag) is a bit sharpened. places. These canes don’t absorb order of instrument – in the upper Sound channel (perde) with the di- the humidity. Cane from the side of position it is lowered and in the low- ameter of 10mm is bored with drill. cleaned external layer is flat, forming er it is increased. On the face part there eight bored the double uvula of plain form and For the protection of the cane holes (ses perdesi). Museum cop- this part is worn of a regulator in the from damage, after playing it is cov- ies of this instrument witness that shape of ring. The other end of the ered with wooden cap-clip (gapag, in the past their number reached cane is put a wooden pivot with the agizlig, kip, bend, yashmag, sikhnag, up to 6-7. On the body part, in the diameter of 7-12 mm. A bit lower gapanja, gisgach) of willow, nut, cor- point, corresponding to the half of from the knot, the end is drawn and nel or mulberry tree. To avoid the the distance between first and the covered with thread. It is done in or- loss, it is joined with thread to regu- second holes of the face side, one der to allow the free movement of lator. more hole is opened. the regulator down and not let the During the play balaban is kept With the purpose of improve- cane to become flat. It is covered right in front of you in a bit bent po- ment of row and timbre of instru- with vegetable oil and burnt on a sition and the air is blown into cane ment sounding, sometimes on the coal or a lamp. of the instrument. Under the influ- face side in the lower end additional Regulator (kherek, bogazlig, ence of the blown air, fragile cane holes are bored which is called a reg- boyundurug, ulama, ekme) is made plates vibrate and cause the sound. ulating hole (nizam perdesi). of willow or of vineyard branch with At the same time the sound doesn’t Names of the play holes reflect the length of 60mm and the width cease even then when musician gets

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able to receive cheomatic sounds. There is also a constructed alto part, tenor and bass types of balaban. Azerbaijan used to have ven- erable balaban players. Among them are Ali Kerimov, Shahkhali Ismayilov, Hasan Bakhshali oglu, Alish Gaytaranoglu, Museyib Abbasov, Shahmurad Tahirov, Bahruz Zeynalov, Hasrat Huseynov, Izzatali Zulfugarov, Jennetali Hajiyev, Agasafa Seyidov, Hasan Maharramov, Alihan Samedov, Alijavad Javadov and Farhad Huseynov. The most famous at that time were the duets of musicians (a pair of balabans): one of them being mas- ter plays the main melody and an- other – demkesh, zuytutan, zuychu (student) accompanies that melody upstart on one and the same low sound on height. In the accompani- ment of this duet they play songs, dances and instrumental pieces. air into his lungs. The height of the opposite direction, that is from top During the weddings, holidays sound is changed by means of clos- to bottom is how it is closed. In order and celebrations as well as in ac- ing and opening of playing holes by to receive clean half tone sounds, it companiment of dances this duet is fingers of both hands. is important to place middle parts of joined with musicians that play on Order of the instrument is regu- fingers on holes. gaval, nagara or pair-nagara. The en- lated by means of regulator, widen- The range of instrument is from semble, including two balaban play- ing of sound holes and movement “sol” of minor octave to “do” of sec- ers and one percussion instrument of mouthpiece down or up. In order ond octave. Venerable musicians by was famous among people under to lessen the order of the instru- means of pressuring the muscles of the name“group of balaban players”. ment to half tone or a tone, the lips (dodag sikhma) and the effort Additionally, as an applied desti- mouthpiece is moved back or up to of the blown cane of the air also at- nation on it, it also plays shepherd the corps of which they wear “clip” tract the sounds “do diez”, “re” and melodies (“Choban bayatisi”,“Goyun – yedenek, drawing the length of “mi bemol” of the second octave. ovshari”) and mourning melo- stem to 8-10mm. Another playing manner (bogaz dies (“Matem avazlari” – mourning Half tone is made by closing or vurma) is used for receiving an in- verses). As it is mentioned in his opening the play holes to half. For terrupted sound. memories, Azerbaijani singer, pro- example, for receiving the sound“sol In the low (bem) registry of ducer and pedagogue Huseyngulu diez” it is important to open the half sound of balaban, it is a vague, ring- Sarabski (1879-1945), balaban was of the hole which makes the sound ing, in the medium (orta) registry, it used also by hunters for enticing fe- “lya”. For receiving the sound “sol is a soft, lyrical and in the high (zil) male quails into the trap. bemol” it is important to open back registry, it is fragile and clear. Balaban Balaban is also used in Ashug hole in half. players by means of regulating the ensembles. In this case very often Half closed holes on the face side blowing of air with half-closed or they use its rare type (jura), which of the stem are opened or closed open holes, by changing the level is tuned for saz. In ashug ensembles from side part. And back hole are of pressing the cane with their lips they double the melody of singing opened from bottom to up and in in medium or in high registries were or in the background of melody.

50 www.irs-az.com bans provides a pleasant timbre co- lour for symphonic orchestra. In 1950s, playing balaban was included into the system of profes- sional musical education, studied in methodical way in music schools”. It was also taught in National Conservatorium. Balaban or flat balaban is also fa- mous under the same name in Iran and Dagestan, as mey inTurkey, dudu- ki or duduk in Georgia, Kabardino- Balkaria, guan among uygurs. It is in- teresting to note that under the name balaban (bulaman, bulamon) or bala- bon in Kabardino-Balkaria, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan was widely used quite other wind instrument of different construction. They remind the ances- tor of balaban, which is sumsu-bala- ban, that existed in Azerbaijan in very old, ancient times. During instrumental introductions in the introduction of melody or in Melodies sounded with bala- to the singing of ashug, balaban switching in suitable moment to the ban brightly reflect all beauties and player plays the main melody and playing of mugham parts. wonders of our musical culture. ashug in his turn on his saz accom- In the orchestra of folk instru- Therefore this musical instrument panies him with harmonic sounds. ments in solo playing of balabans, is one of the most favourite ones in Sometimes balaban player while ac- it is this instrument that is given Azerbaijan. companying the song of the ashug melodic phrases as an accompany- also dances in parallel. ing instrument used for playing har- Timbre and dynamic capacities monic accords and burdon sounds. of the instrument are clearly shown Balaban, as solo instrument in solo singing of mugham with the sounds very well in the plays, such as duet of balaban players despite the “Second fantasy” of Uzeyir Hajibayov, fact that its sound order doesn’t al- “In the fields of Azerbaijan” of Muslim low to play all its melody parts. This Magomayev,“Dancing suita” of Khalil is why usually mugham dastgahs are Jafarov. These plays masterly use played by balaban players in short- balabans in high and low registries. ened form. Musical and technical capacity At the same time, taking into ac- of balaban (especially when play- count the range of instrument differ- ing the accords) are clearly dem- ent tones are selected that are spe- onstrated in the piece called “While cific to mughams and its divisions. dreaming” of Suleyman Alasgarov, The role of balaban master in vocal- for the first time composed for bal- instrumental version of playing for aban and the orchestra of folk in- mugham, often varies and changes. struments and in the piece for four In some cases he plays only in the balabans of Nazim Azimov. background as secondary sound, in In the poem “In the memo- others especially during a big pause ry of unknown soldier” of Ogtay in vocal party, it plays an active role Zulfugarov, the sounding of bala- www.irs-az.com 51