i © 2021 Patricio Fadel Molina ALL RIGHTS RESERVED i ARABIC MUSIC AND THE PIANO: The Use of the Piano in Lebanon and Egypt During the Golden Age of Arabic Music By PATRICIO FADEL MOLINA A dissertation submitted to the School of Graduate Studies Rutgers, The University of New Jersey In partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Program in Music Written under the direction of Scott Ordway And approved by _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ New Brunswick, New Jersey January, 2021 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Arabic Music and the Piano: The Use of the Piano in Lebanon and Egypt During the Golden Age of Arabic Music By PATRICIO FADEL MOLINA Dissertation Director: Scott Ordway During the 1930s, Egyptian and Lebanese composers began to incorporate the piano into their works. Because the piano also brought equal temperament, which is distinctly different than the tuning system used in Arab folk music, this new instrumental combination made a deep impact on the musical structure itself. The story of how the piano was introduced to the Arab World, however, is not well known. In this dissertation, I discuss the introduction of the piano (and consequently of equal temperament) into Egyptian and Lebanese Arabic music of the 1930s–60s. I also compare Western and Arabic music theory and explore how the piano influenced the composition of Arabic music. The study is in two parts: 1) an analysis of Egyptian and Lebanese music from 1930–60 that features the piano alongside traditional Arabic instrumentalists and vocalists, and 2) a biographical study of musicians that that brought Western elements into Arabic music. The fusion techniques developed during the period 1930–60 continue to inform compositions created by Arab musicians in the United States and elsewhere. In the ii fourth chapter, I provide an overview of Arabic music in the United States in the 21st century. My research concludes with an original composition entitled Memories of Homs, for Arabic ensemble and piano. The last chapter is an analysis of this work. This topic is especially meaningful for two reasons: the piano is a dominant element in my musical career, and my Syrian heritage continues to shape my overall musical experience. iii DEDICATION Dedicated to the memory of my Syrian Grandfather ﺎﻓﺿﻞ ﺰﺧ ا م Fadel Khouzam (1928–1985) iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract of the Dissertation .............................................................................................. ii Dedication ........................................................................................................................... iv Table of Contents ................................................................................................................ v List of Figures ..................................................................................................................... viii Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 1 Background ......................................................................................................................... 2 Westernization of Arabic Music ....................................................................................... 7 Chapter 1: Theory .............................................................................................................. 9 1.1: Similarities and Differences between Western and Arabic Music ....................... 9 1.2 Arabic Theory ............................................................................................................... 11 1.3 Jins ‘Ajam ....................................................................................................................... 14 1.4 Jins Bayati ...................................................................................................................... 15 1.5 Jins Hijaz ........................................................................................................................ 16 1.6 Jins Kurd ........................................................................................................................ 17 1.7 Jins Nahawand ............................................................................................................. 18 1.8 Jins Nikriz ...................................................................................................................... 18 1.9 Jins Rast .......................................................................................................................... 19 1.10 Jins Saba ....................................................................................................................... 20 1.11 Jins Sikah ..................................................................................................................... 20 1.12 Arabic Maqam vs. Western Scales ........................................................................... 20 1.13 The piano and the qanun ........................................................................................... 22 1.14 Improvisation .............................................................................................................. 24 1.15 Music notation ............................................................................................................ 25 1.16 Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 26 v Chapter 2: History ............................................................................................................. 28 2.1 The Golden Age and Beyond: from Sayed Darwish to Ziad Rahbani ................. 28 2.2 An Overview of the Golden Age Musicians ............................................................ 30 2.3 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 38 Chapter 3: Use of Jins and Maqam in Arabic Music with Piano ............................. 39 3.1 Brief Historical Context ............................................................................................... 39 3.2 Introduction to Analysis .............................................................................................. 44 3.3.1 Moshe: Qultu Lma Ghaba ‘Anni ................................................................................ 46 3.3.2 Kulthum: Alf Lela We Lela ......................................................................................... 49 3.3.3 Muhammad: Layali .................................................................................................... 50 3.3.4 Wahab: Sahirtou Minhul Layali ................................................................................. 51 3.3.5 Hamdan: Salayma ...................................................................................................... 56 3.3.5 Hamdan: Bolero .......................................................................................................... 60 3.3.6 Hamdan: Ila Samra .................................................................................................... 62 3.3.7 Hamdan: Ana Men Lobnan ........................................................................................ 66 3.3.8 Hamdan: Enta Wana .................................................................................................. 67 3.4 Western Piano Music by Arabic Composers ............................................................ 68 3.4.1 Wardi: Fugue in E Minor ........................................................................................... 68 3.4.2 Wardi: Dance in C minor ............................................................................................ 68 3.4.3 Wardi: Two Piano Pieces ............................................................................................ 69 3.5.4 Succari: Suite Syrienne ............................................................................................... 69 Chapter 4: Current Arabic Music in the USA .............................................................. 70 Chapter 5: Memories of Homs by Patricio F. Molina ................................................. 81 5.1 Overview ....................................................................................................................... 81 5.2 Themes ........................................................................................................................... 81 5.3 Overview of Compositional Methods ....................................................................... 84 vi 5.4 First Movement ............................................................................................................. 86 5.5 Second Movement ........................................................................................................ 89 5.6 Third Movement ........................................................................................................... 92 5.7 Fourth Movement ......................................................................................................... 94 5.8 Fifth Movement ............................................................................................................ 96 5.9 Sixth Movement ............................................................................................................ 98 5.10 Seventh Movement ...................................................................................................