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SCENES FROM THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET
(A BRIEF HISTORY OF ISLAM)
One of my best pieces is a suite about the founding of Islam. Why Islam? It's topical, and I hope to follow in the footsteps of the great European orientalists such as Gottfried Von Leibniz, Arthur Schopenhauer, Ludwig Deutsch, Gustav Holst, Hermann Hesse, Alan Watts, Nestor Sander and Charles-Valentin Alkan.
Then too, when looked at from an outsider's view, Islam has stories which are much more dramatic then those of Christianity. Did Jesus multiply the loaves and fishes? (Matthew 15:36) Somehow that's not very impressive in this age of catering services. Did He cause the demons to infect some innocent pigs which then ran into the sea and drowned? (Matthew 8:32) That's terrible! Where were the animal-rights activists in those days?
Moreover, those miracles seem trivial compared to the miracles in Islam. Some of the stories about Mohammed (praise be unto him) are so dramatic and thrilling that they inspired me to write the following music.
I. IN THE CITY OF THE IDOLATORS
Mecca sits in the barren hollow between two ranges of steep hills on the western edge of the Arabian peninsula. To its immediate west lies the flat and sweltering Red Sea coast; to the east is the vast Rub'al-Khali, or Empty Quarter -- the largest continuous body of sand on the planet. In the centuries leading up to the introduction of Islam, Mecca was a prosperous city of traders who had a monopoly over the caravan routes which ran from Syria in the north to Yemen in the south.
Mecca was also the site of a pagan sanctuary of considerable antiquity. Religious rituals centered around the Kaaba -- a shrine still central to Islam today-- that Muslims believe was originally built by Ibrahim, who is known to Christians and Jews as Abraham, and his son Ishmael. As Mecca prospered in the sixth century (by the Gregorian calendar), pagan idols proliferated. It is said that a pantheon of some 360 statues and icons surrounded the Kaaba, and inside were the images of Jesus and the Virgin Mary.
It should come as no surprise that such a prosperous city of commerce was also a hotbed of sin. Gambling, drunkenness and prostitution were commonplace as was wild music and dancing. Mohammed (praise be unto him) was something like the John Calvin of his day, in that not only did he wish to do away with the idols and the lewd behavior, but he told the people of Mecca that they must repent and mend their sinful ways, and the Islamic tradition frowns on music too. Although Mohammed (peace be unto him) had attracted a small band of reform-minded followers, most of the sinful people of Mecca laughed at him. Local punks would throw shit at Mohammed's door. (I am not making this up! Source: New Encyclopædia Britannica, 15th edition) (But this is not represented in my music.) The people of Mecca did not heed Mohammed's warnings to be serious and "upright," and they just kept carrying on in a sinful and concupiscent manner and said he was "uptight."
This is the only movement of the suite in which an actual Arabic theme is employed. Because of my respect for the Arabic culture, I eat only Halal food (think: Kosher Lite), and I was eating in a neighborhood restaurant where Lebanese music was played, and I heard a riff of a sixteenth rest followed by a group of sixteenth notes. I can't tell you exactly what Arabic music the old proprietor was playing, but I like the riff so much that want to share it with you. I tried to combine this with a Nino Rota style.
The sheet music for this piece is available for a nominal fee at
my page at SibeliusMusic where you can also watch the music go by as the tune plays.
(A BRIEF HISTORY OF ISLAM)
One of my best pieces is a suite about the founding of Islam. Why Islam? It's topical, and I hope to follow in the footsteps of the great European orientalists such as Gottfried Von Leibniz, Arthur Schopenhauer, Ludwig Deutsch, Gustav Holst, Hermann Hesse, Alan Watts, Nestor Sander and Charles-Valentin Alkan.
Then too, when looked at from an outsider's view, Islam has stories which are much more dramatic then those of Christianity. Did Jesus multiply the loaves and fishes? (Matthew 15:36) Somehow that's not very impressive in this age of catering services. Did He cause the demons to infect some innocent pigs which then ran into the sea and drowned? (Matthew 8:32) That's terrible! Where were the animal-rights activists in those days?
Moreover, those miracles seem trivial compared to the miracles in Islam. Some of the stories about Mohammed (praise be unto him) are so dramatic and thrilling that they inspired me to write the following music.
I. IN THE CITY OF THE IDOLATORS
Mecca sits in the barren hollow between two ranges of steep hills on the western edge of the Arabian peninsula. To its immediate west lies the flat and sweltering Red Sea coast; to the east is the vast Rub'al-Khali, or Empty Quarter -- the largest continuous body of sand on the planet. In the centuries leading up to the introduction of Islam, Mecca was a prosperous city of traders who had a monopoly over the caravan routes which ran from Syria in the north to Yemen in the south.
Mecca was also the site of a pagan sanctuary of considerable antiquity. Religious rituals centered around the Kaaba -- a shrine still central to Islam today-- that Muslims believe was originally built by Ibrahim, who is known to Christians and Jews as Abraham, and his son Ishmael. As Mecca prospered in the sixth century (by the Gregorian calendar), pagan idols proliferated. It is said that a pantheon of some 360 statues and icons surrounded the Kaaba, and inside were the images of Jesus and the Virgin Mary.
It should come as no surprise that such a prosperous city of commerce was also a hotbed of sin. Gambling, drunkenness and prostitution were commonplace as was wild music and dancing. Mohammed (praise be unto him) was something like the John Calvin of his day, in that not only did he wish to do away with the idols and the lewd behavior, but he told the people of Mecca that they must repent and mend their sinful ways, and the Islamic tradition frowns on music too. Although Mohammed (peace be unto him) had attracted a small band of reform-minded followers, most of the sinful people of Mecca laughed at him. Local punks would throw shit at Mohammed's door. (I am not making this up! Source: New Encyclopædia Britannica, 15th edition) (But this is not represented in my music.) The people of Mecca did not heed Mohammed's warnings to be serious and "upright," and they just kept carrying on in a sinful and concupiscent manner and said he was "uptight."
This is the only movement of the suite in which an actual Arabic theme is employed. Because of my respect for the Arabic culture, I eat only Halal food (think: Kosher Lite), and I was eating in a neighborhood restaurant where Lebanese music was played, and I heard a riff of a sixteenth rest followed by a group of sixteenth notes. I can't tell you exactly what Arabic music the old proprietor was playing, but I like the riff so much that want to share it with you. I tried to combine this with a Nino Rota style.
The sheet music for this piece is available for a nominal fee at
my page at SibeliusMusic where you can also watch the music go by as the tune plays.
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very good job with this piece, really liked the dynamics and
the instruments. The drum parts are very well placed and
the ending was superb.
I am working with Sibelius also sometimes, mainly for rough
sketches of ideas. It is impressive to see you create the whole
piece with Sibelius. Respect.
Cheers