Audio file
Title: Conrad Arensberg and Alan Lomax discuss varied performance style and culture topics (part 3)
Date recorded: August 12, 1963 to August 13, 1963
Contributor(s): Contributor: Arensberg, Conrad; Contributor: Lomax, AlanBelongs to: Arensberg/Lomax, 1963-1968
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Date recorded: August 12, 1963 to August 13, 1963
Contributor(s): Contributor: Arensberg, Conrad; Contributor: Lomax, Alan
Subject(s): Cantometrics; Ethnomusicology; Anthropology
Genre: interview/commentary
Location:
Physical form: Reel to Reel
Tape number: T1277
Track Number: 1
Archive ID: T1277
Note: Hot music - polyrhythms. Instrumentally among the Pygmies and the Gongs and a little bit among the Arabs. New Guinea has a shallow top. Two geographic divisions: Not well-blended unison (mostly Papua) on the eastern end, and Melanesia, where you have an apparatus of chiefs, very shallow, to alternate hereditary chiefs, still not a class society. Music in class societies. Orchestras. Rhythmic set. Indicators for rhythm. Vocal organization is about the community, a simple statement about the male, female dominance pattern, perhaps. Organization of instruments is a symbolic body representation the relationship of male and female to each other. Western Europe has simple rhythms and unison. American Indians have simple rhythms and unison. Africa has simple rhythms and unison. Australians have complex rhythms and unison. Asia tends to be very complex with heterophony. Polynesia and Melanesia is very complex with unison and a very good blend. (This is also true of Central Europe, to some extent.) Conrad Arensberg: Real variant is heterophony. Significance of number of instruments and strong feminine participation in production. Discussion of cultural modes of activity and relation to expressive content. In language there is no correlation (Arensberg). Mode independent of the function. Lomax: Music does both.
About the session: Conrad Arensberg and Alan Lomax discuss varied ethnomusicology and performance style and culture topics. Some conversations include Victor Grauer.
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