Bibliography

"Gwendal - Official Website - Bio." Gwendal. Web. Mar. 2012. <http://www.gwendal.eu/eng/index.php?page=bio>. 

"Irish Folk Music." Experience the Real Ireland! Web. Mar. 2012. <http://www.authenticireland.com/irish folk music>. 

Kamien, Roger. Music: An Appreciation. Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2008. Print. 

McCullough, Lawrence E. JSTOR. Web. Mar. 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/850853?uid=3739600>. 

"Traditional Instruments and Music of the Mongolia People - Text in English." Face Music. Web. Mar. 2012. <http://www.face-music.ch/instrum/mongolia_instrum.html>. 

Conclusion

·      The two different cultures from East to West do have have many similarities. The Mongolian Traditional music and the Irish Folk Music have similarities within form, texture, tone color, tempo and time signature.  It’s very interesting how both groups use similar instruments.  Also, the diverse instruments have different names for each one they sound and look similar to one another.  Even though the Khatan Ekh Ensemble and the music group Gwendal are from different areas of the world, their music is in fact very similar with their musical elements.

Form

Mongolian

·      Mongolian form-ABA-ternary

·      Ternary form means that a form can be represented as a statement A, contrast or departure B, and then the return, A.

·      This piece uses triplets throughout the piece. 

·      A triplet is a group of three notes of equal duration notated as a group within a curved line and the number 3.

·      Dynamics

§  Dynamics are the degrees of loudness or softness in music

§  In this particular piece it goes from moderate-loud-soft-loud

§  Plucking of the Yatga and the Ekh Khuur makes the loudness more prominent

§  At time 1:02 the plucked instruments, Yatga and the Ekh Khuur are played softly.  So here, the dynamic is soft.

·      Tone color

§  The key change presents a contrasting tone color when its only the Morin Khuur and the Limbe.  This gives the piece more variety.

§  Then the starting melody comes back and ends with the piece. 

·      Cadence

§  It ends with a perfect authentic cadence

§   A perfect authentic cadence is when it goes from a dominant 5 chord to a 1 chord and both have to be on root position hand it hast to end with the 1 chord.

·      Themes: Theme A 0:0-0:58

Theme B  0:59-2:07

Theme C  2:08-2:19

Theme A   2:20-3:09

 I also hear slurs throughout the piece.

  Irish-Binary Form AB

·      A Binary form mean that it gives a sense of statement A, and counterstatement, B.

·      Uses triplets

·      Rhythmic ostinatos-a rhythm that is repeated in the same pitch throughout the peace. 

·      There is a basso continuo in the piece. 

§  A basso continuo is musical accompaniment that I continuous.  In this piece, the acoustic and bass guitar are used for the basso continuo. 

·      Dynamics

§  In this piece the dynamics stay the same throughout.  The piece just stays loud throughout the song.

·      Tone Color

§  The tone color in this piece is very clear.  You can hear each part clearly when the violin, piccolo and the bass guitar come in.

·      Cadence

§  At the end of each theme there is a cadence.

·      Themes

§  There are two themes that I hear in this piece

·      Theme A 0:0-1:17

ThemeB:1:18-1:57

Theme A 1:58-2:35

Theme C:2:36-3:58

 This piece also has slurs

Similarities 

·      Repetition in both—both rhythmic ostinatos

·      Sequences in both-repetition of a melodic pattern on a higher or lower pitch

Differences

·      They have different forms.  The traditional Mongolian piece is in ternary form and he the Irish folk song is in Binary form.

Time Signature

·      In the Mongolian piece I perceive the time signature to be in 2/2, duple meter.  In the Irish piece I perceive the time signature to be also in 2/2, duple meter. 

·      I hear the time signature change at 0.58. I hear the time signature to be in 4/4, quadruple meter in the traditional Mongolian piece.

·      It is interesting that these two different cultured pieces have somewhat the same time signature.   

Tone Color

·      In Steren and the traditional Mongolian piece by Ekh Ensemble have a similar tone color.  Tone Color is the quality of sound that distinguishes one instrument or voice from another.  Both pieces have a clear tone color.  

General Tempo

·      The tempo of Mongolian piece it changes from vivace to moderato, then back to vivace.  The tempo of the Irish piece is vivace and it stays the same throughout.  Vivace tempo means lively tempo.  Moderato tempo means a moderate tempo.

Style

·      The style of each piece is different.  The term style in music refers to a characteristic way of using melody, rhythm, tone color, dynamics, harmony, texture, and form.  By comparing the traditional Mongolian piece and Steren by the band Gwendal, they offer similar, yet contrasting textures.  The Mongolian piece is in the style of traditional Mongolian music.  The piece Steren, by the band Gwendal is in the style of Irish Folk Music.  The style of the traditional Mongolian piece is calming and simple.  This piece shows the style of traditional East Asian music.  The Irish folk song Steren, by Gwendal encompasses the elements of Irish music.  It also shows a consistency of textural use of homophonic.  I hear this through the dynamics and structure of this song. 

Texture

·      Texture refers to how many different layers of sound are heard at once, to what kind of layers they are, and to how they are related to each other.  The three common types of textures are Monophonic, Polyphonic, and Homophonic.  Monophonic is a single melodic line without accompaniment.  Polyphonic is the simultaneous performance of two or more melodic lines of relatively equal interest.  Homophonic is when you hear one melody accompanied by chords.

·      In the band Gwendal, uses a homophonic texture throughout the piece.  It starts off with the flute playing the melody, while the acoustic guitar plays the chords.  Then the violin comes in with the same part as the flute at 0:59.  The bass guitar comes in at the same time helping the acoustic guitar.  The piccolo comes in at 1:19 with the same melody.  This is called imitation since an instrument comes and plays the same notes as the other instruments.  Imitation occurs when a melodic idea is presented by one voice or instrument and is then restated immediately by another voice or instrument.  These additions make the piece sound full and lively. 

·      The traditional Mongolian piece by the Khatan Ekh Ensemble.  This particular piece is homophonic and polyphonic.  When the time signature changes, the texture changes as well.  The piece starts off with most of the instruments present: Morin Khuur, Mongolian Xylophone, Yatga, Ikh Khuur, and the Limbe.  The Morin Khuur and the Limbe have the melody.  They play the same parts.  The Mongolian Xylophone, Yatga, and Ikh Khuur play the harmony.   At 2:05 the Yatga has the melody and the Morin Khuur has the harmony. Then all the other instruments come in for the harmony.  This lasts until 2:20.  Then it goes back to being Homophonic with the Morin Khuur and the Limbe playing the melody and the Mongolian Xylophone, Yatga, and Ikh Khuur playing the harmony. 

·      The comparisons between the pieces are that both have homophonic textures.  The only difference is that the traditional Mongolian piece changes texture to polyphonic and changes back to homophonic.  

Instrumentation

·      Both use String instruments and wind instruments

·      All of the Mongolian instruments represent Asian music.

·      Irish instrumentation-represents Western music—flute, violin, piccolo.

·      Some of the Mongolian instruments are similar to the Western instruments.

§  Limbe is a similar Aero phone like a Flute

§  Ikh Khuur looks similar to a Double Bass.  But the Ikh Khuur has more of a trapezoid shape.

§  Morin Khuur is a mixture of a cello and a violin.  There are only two strings on the instrument and its shape is also like a trapezoid.

§  Mongolian Xylophone is like a Western Xylophone.  The difference between the two is that the Mongolian Xylophone is crafted with Mongolian art cultures.

Instrumentation

Instrumentation for Irish

·      Flute

§  Used during Baroque period

§  Classical

Acoustic Guitar

   Violin

 Renaissance

  Baroque

  Classical

Bass Guitar

Piccolo

Instrumentation

Mongolian:

•   Morin Khuur or also known as the Horse-Fiddle

§  2 stringed insrument

§  used to play polyphonic melodies. 

§  Imitates noises of a horse

 Mongolian Xylophone

·      Yatga-

§  Half-tube Zither

§  Plucked string instrument

·      Ikh Khuur-

§  Its similar to a double bass

§  Shape is like a trapezoid

  Limbe is a Aero phone instrument, usually used for accompaniment

An Aero phone is a wind instrument

Mongolian Traditional Music

Mongolian Traditional Music:

Khatan Ekh Ensemble

·      This is ensemble plays traditional Mongolian music.  In this particular song they performed it at the Nadaam Festival in Mongolia.

         Traditional Mongolian Music:

·      This music has been existing since the 13^th Century under the rule of Gengis Khan with Turkish tribes.

·      This type of music has been influenced by many tribes.  An example of a tribe would be a Turkish tribe.  

Irish Folk Music and Background of the band Gwendal

 Irish Folk Music: This has been around since the 18^th Century.

  The style of Irish Folk music uses ornamentation, variation in melodic and rhythmic patterns, phrasing and articulation.

Background of the band Gwendal:

Melodic Influences by Jazz, rock n roll

Jean-Marie Renard-brings 5 different musicians to form a band—with their musical influences of traditional, jazz, folk, and rock 'n' roll

Began with 5 members then in 1989 with the album “Glen River”—became 6

This song is in the style of a Celtic Irish Folk Music

The members of this band consist of:

·      Youenn Le Berre on the Flutes

·      Jean-Claude Phillippe on the Violin

·      Ludoe Mesnil on the Acoustic Guitar

·      Jerome Guenguen on the Keyboards

·      David Rusaouen on the drums

Introduction

Introduction:      Does Irish Folk Music and Traditional Mongolian Music sound similar?  
Well, in order to determine whether they do sound similar, I will analyze the similarities and differences.  In order to determine the similarities and differences, I will investigate the compositional features in both pieces.  The compositional features will include duration, pitch, tone color, texture, dynamics, and form.  I will focus on one pair of an Irish Folk song to a Traditional Mongolian song.   These groups are from two different cultures, one from the East and the other from the West.  The Mongolian Traditional Music is from the East, while the Irish Folk Music is from the West.   The Irish Folk song I chose is called Steren by a band called Gwendal.  The Traditional Mongolian song comes from the group called Khatan Ekh Ensemble.