什麼是中東音樂

阿拉伯、土耳其與波斯的穆斯林世界的音樂。儘管涉及三種主要的語言及其相關的文化差異，這種音樂仍可視為一個單一偉大的傳統，因為它們擁有一致的伊斯蘭成份。伊斯蘭在歷史上視音樂為疑難，這導致相對少數的宗教儀式音樂，但並未抑制世俗音樂，甚至反而以一股強烈的宗教張力，豐富了世俗音樂的內涵。只有部分教派，如蘇菲主義（Sufism）在崇拜中採用音樂（和舞蹈）；清真寺中的音樂一般限制在召喚祈禱，以及詠唱可蘭經。在中東，民間音樂和與藝術音樂之間的區別不若其他地方明顯，因為民間音樂，就像藝術音樂一樣，長久以來都是專業人士（包括許多女性）的領域，而藝術音樂僅只是民間音樂基本成份精緻化的呈現而已。兩者都以單人表演為特色，或着獨自一人，或由小樂團伴奏。兩者在節奏上的處理也頗為相似，都與韻律學（prosody）的原則緊密關聯，而且都包含富有特色的無韻即興創作。民間音樂與藝術音樂中的模式（maqam）也相同；如何運用這些模式，與印度音樂中的拉格（raga）有部分相似之處。在形式上，主要的原則是原曲的部分與即興創作的部分交替輪流，原曲的部分伴隨着打擊樂器敲打着諸多傳統模組中的一個。在原曲部分，與旋律樂器一同合奏的是獨奏的樂句（line），在即興創作的部分則與之共鳴，並落後一或兩個拍子。特別是在1950年以後，受西方影響的商業化流行音樂的崛起，影響了中東的藝術音樂；在比較小型的作品中，中東的藝術音樂如今使用較少的即興創作，更多的是各部分間精準的齊唱和合奏。中東音樂一直是世界各地樂器的重要來源，包括風笛、吉他、魯特琴、雙簧管（oboe）、鈴鼓（tambourine）、古提琴（viols）和齊特琴（zithers）。

Middle Eastern music

Music of the Arabic, Turkish, and Persian Muslim world. Despite three major languages and associated cultural differences, the music can be seen as a single great tradition because of the unifying element of Islam. The fact that Islam has historically found music problematic has resulted in relatively little religious ceremonial music, but has not held back secular music, and has even enriched it with a strong religious strain. Only certain sects, such as Sufism, have used music (and dance) for worship, music in the mosque having generally been limited to the call to prayer and the chanting of the Quran. Folk music and art music differ less in the Middle East than elsewhere, because folk music, like art music, has long been the province of professionals (including many women), and art music has represented merely the refinement of basic folk elements. Both tend to feature soloists, either alone or accompanied by a small group. Rhythmic treatment is similar, being closely related to principles of prosody, and both include characteristic nonmetric improvisations. The modes (maqam) are the same in both folk and art music, and how they are used bears some resemblance to the raga in Indian music. The main formal principle is an alternation of composed and improvised sections, the composed portions being accompanied by percussion beating one of a number of traditional patterns. Accompanying melodic instruments play in unison with the solo line during the composed parts, and echo it one or two beats behind in the improvised parts. Especially after 1950, the rise of Western-influenced commercial popular music affected Middle Eastern art music, which now employs less improvisation and more strict unison between parts, in shorter pieces. The Middle East has been an important source of musical instruments for other parts of the world, including bagpipes, guitar, lute, oboe, tambourine, viols, and zithers.