Zurna

Zurna ( Turkish ) Ottoman سرنا, Kurdish zirne called in Turkey and in some neighboring countries that were under the influence of the Ottoman musical culture, a group of double-reed instruments with a funnel-shaped bell. They belong to a large family of funnel oboes, which are common with variations of the name Sornay from North Africa to the Middle East, Central Asia and India to East Asia.

Etymology

The name goes back to Persian surnā and Old Turkish suruna. The Turkish z is pronounced as a voiced s. In the 17th century, the beginning has been replaced with a z. This is evident from the description of musical instruments in the work of Evliya Çelebi Ottoman writer. For the etymology of the Persian word surnā / zurna There are several explanations. Surnā (y) could be prepared from the compound of Arabic Sur ( " Horn " ) and Persian na ( y) ( " pipe " ), be therefore derived " Horn Flute ". Even a sole origin from the Old Persian is conceivable. The earliest Turkish terms for similar instruments of Asian Turkic peoples were yırağ in the 10th century and yorağ.

The conical oboes have spread not only with the Ottoman Empire, they are likely in some areas, such as in the Balkans, even before the Turkish conquest, have come mostly by Roma refugees there. The zurna is a possible precursor for the European shawm.

Design

Conical oboes are turned out of a single, cone -shaped piece of wood. In Turkey, plum, ebony and apricot wood are preferred, with juniper wood, cherry wood or grenadilla wood are also used. Most types of zurna type are drilled cylindrical and conically falls in the grip area. They have a double reed ( Kami ), 3-8 finger holes ( perde ) and a down -shifted to the center of the back thumb hole, sometimes in addition to a device, alternate tones and sounds can be created with the. This technique is, however, no longer used today.

In principle, it is wind-cap instruments, as the player the mouthpiece as deep takes best in his mouth that the reeds vibrate freely therein and can not be corrected with the lips. It helps him a removable lip support made ​​of plastic ( Pirouette, Turkish: sedef ). This approach is often used in conjunction with the circular breathing. The horn, the falls, one occasionally finds grip holes like " Devil holes" ( şeytan delikleri ) whose sonic sense and musical use can no longer be resolved today.

The zurna there are usually three sizes, as Turkish kaba ( "large" in the sense of tremendous sound, literally means " thick " ) refers, orta ( "medium" ) and cura ( "small" ).

Play

For the Ottomans, the zurna came with the davul as a gift of Kai Khosrau Seldschukenherrschers III. of Osman I (c. 1258/1259, † 1326). Under Osman I was the zurna first established in courtly and religious ceremonies, such as during lunch prayer, anchored ( nevbet vurmak ), but also reached into the secular celebration and entertainment music of the court and later in the military music Mehterhane of the Janissaries.

At the same time, the zurna got a permanent place in folk music, particularly the music of religious and secular celebrations.

The duo davul - zurna

The large drum davul formed very early with the zurna, a duo that rose to prominence for different occasions and in different function. The davul, in this duo always mentioned first because it is very decisive, both by their different sounds and through their rhythmic control function. The different sounds and noises defeated bring it like a drone into existence a kind of musical space. Above it swings the tune of the zurna or she is subordinate to the rhythm below.

In folk music, the zurna is increasingly displaced by the clarinet. The davul - zurna musicians are increasingly being replaced by technical media and traditional music by pop, pop music and rock music in the rural area. But here is done of a revival. Professional musicians take to outside the current sociological context of the zurna.

Davul - zurna in folk music

In many countries where the davul - zurna ensemble is usual, were or are certain groups of people as to the parties with song, dance and instrumental presentations dedicated itinerant musicians with davul and zurna go. Often, the Roma (Turkish çingene, rare CIGAN or Tsigan ), whose ancestors have already come with the Seljuks in Anatolia and there or for the most part gone over already on the way to Islam are. Thus, the Roma were in the Seljuk states rights as other Islamic subjects, and later the Ottoman Empire. Traditionally, they were craftsmen, traders and musicians.

Typical of the çingene musician is still the duo davul - zurna.

Already Abū l - Qasem Ferdowsi wrote in the e - Shahnameh assume that Luri, which could correspond to the Çingene (Roma), 420 AD by Shah Bahram V Gur had been brought as a musician from India to Persia in the year. " There are many indications, therefore, that these instruments symbiosis and their practices come from India, sound tools such people. " ( K. u U. Reinhard 1984)

The combination of davul - zurna and Çingene reflected exemplified in the main character of the Turkish shadow theater, which had been practiced in Greece, Montenegro and Romania. Karagöz is by its name (Eng. " black eye " for the purposes of çingene ) characterized by its Çingene secret language and sometimes davul by the attributes and zurna as Çingene.

In Turkey, were and are also mostly Alevi Abdāl migrant musicians. Above all, they are singing ozan and Aşık, but also instrumentalists with davul and zurna. They are regarded as Turkic. Today, they are like the Çingene musicians mostly sedentary.

Davul - zurna in the music of Mehterhane

The impressive sound development davul and the grain-raising penetrating sounds of the zurna made ​​the duo these two instruments at the heart of military music ensembles of the Ottomans provided with sovereign meanings. In the military music of the Mehterhane, even in the developed of them courtly representation and popular music, formed the davul - zurna - ensemble along with other wind and percussion instruments an almost standardized, chorus orchestra occupied for outdoor events.

1826, the Janissary corps were destroyed and thus removed their military music. The appointed in 1828 to Istanbul, new Italian music director Giuseppe Donizetti was formed military bands on European models. The zurna was replaced by the oboe. It was not until late in the 20th century came a mainly tourist oriented revival of mehterhane.

Making music with two zurna

In the entire area in which the zurna family in folk music is used, it is customary to play with different sized zurna simultaneously. This happens with or without accompaniment davul.

, With mostly three, sometimes mixed together, structural forms:

• The smaller zurna plays the melody, the greater zurna plays drones
• Two zurna playing the same melody heterophonically
• Two zurna alternate responsorisch from

Especially in such a duo, the melody leading musicians demonstrate perfect command of his instrument. His playing is marked by micro tonic deviations, glissandi and trills and ornaments with quick side-notes and by a vibrato, which is produced by the changing breath pressure.

Outside of Turkey

Roving Roma musicians and Jews were much more responsible in the 19th century in Turkey for the performance of Karagöztheaters and for his musical accompaniment with zurna and davul. The same ensemble performed and occurs to this day in the Balkans. In Greece and Albania Roma musicians Yiftoi hot. Greek Yiftoi are virtually the only musicians who usually play as zurna and Davul ensemble at weddings.

In Armenia, the shrill music of the zurna is considered low social standing. It is played together with the cylinder barrel dhol at weddings and other family celebrations outdoors. In contrast to the zurna used in the well-maintained chamber music, soft sounding short oboe is duduk and Armenian longitudinal flute blul unequal in higher esteem.