What is it about?
The 'ud (short-necked lute) was the principal instrument of early Islamic music. But what were its roots, and how was it related to earlier music cultures? We embark on a journey of tunings, pitch, and music archaeology, following an instrument type across three continents, possibly tracing it back to classical antiquity.
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Why is it important?
We only start to understand the deep interconnectedness of Mediterranean, West-Asian and European music cultures between antiquity and the middle ages. Understanding lute history may take us a large step further.
Perspectives
Islamicate and European musical traditions have built on ancient heritage in different ways - only by acknowledging all can we hope to obtain a fuller picture of our common music history.
Stefan Hagel
Osterreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Al-ʿūd, pípá, Lute: An Ancient Greek Perspective on Their Prehistory, Oriens, March 2023, Brill,
DOI: 10.1163/18778372-12340019.
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