'The History of Musical Instruments' by Curt Sachs
Jason bought this for me for Christmas. An excellent book. There are some very weird things in it, however, and I would like to share. Please enjoy.
"In East Africa coronation drums must be struck with sticks made of human tibias, which likewise have a phallic significance. To provide fresh ones after the yearly coronation festival the royal drummers carry away all the drums except one; whichever ingenuous onlooker innocently brings this last drum, saying, "You have forgotten it," is immediately seized and killed, and his armbones are used as drumsticks."
A wonderful way to promote courteousy among the community.
"Yung-Lo, the third emperor of the Ming dynasty, ordered a mandarin to cast a bell which should be heard in every part of Peking. The mandarin obeyed, but the bell was honeycombed when the mold was detached from it. He made a second attempt and failed again. When, urged by the emperor, he tried a third casting, his lovely young daughter learned from an astrologer that success could only be secured if a maiden's blood were mixed with the ingredients. So when the melted metal rushed into the mold, she threw herself into the boiling fluid. While the unfortunate father, insane with sorrow, was taken home, the bell was found to be perfect."
Did she ever consider, maybe, making a wound and allowing her blood to mix with the ingredients, as opposed to boiling-metal ritual suicide?
(In reference to South American drums from antiquity,) "The material for the skin came from the llama or deer, and also sometimes from the human hide of slain enemies. Making use of a foe in this way was a method of acquiring his vigor and of terrifying the enemy, and was a well-known magic rite among American Indians. One ancient writer tells in detail how an Inca king, entering his capital after a rebellion, had the complete skins stripped from the live bodies of six subjugated chiefs; he then had them inflated in human shape, and ordered his soldiers to drum upon the stomachs."
That's ...one way to go...
(In a discussion of Indian drums,) "When a new singer appears, the town-people of the musical circle always produce their most trusted Tabalchi [tabla player] to try the new comer's capacity... and every possible cross rhythm is put forth to lure the Gavaya (singer) into the many pit-falls prepared for him."
You see, dislike for vocalists is an ancient and historical tradition. We ought to create pitfalls for vocalists at Crane in keeping with this.
(Describing reliefs, or carved art, from southeast Asia) "In a landscape two xylophones are placed alongside one another. A girl is playing on one of them while, in front of her, an older man, possibly her teacher, is playing the other. On the next relief practicing is brusquely interrupted; the two instruments are leaned against a tree and the professor withdraws with the girl in a somewhat impetuous manner. The third relief can be passed over, since it omits the xylophones as irrelevant to the situation."
Eeeew. And we CARVED this into artwork BECAUSE?
(Of drums from the Near East) "The method of holding the drum varies; the Egyptians, for instance, grasp the drums with both hands..."
They then strike the drum how? I got this great image of distinguished-looking Egyptian hieroglyphic people holding drums with both hands and smashing their faces into the heads of the drums. The later artwork would show broken noses and several people withdrawn from the music-making with severe headaches, I hope.
(Of Near Eastern frame drums,) "The girbal is mentioned in Muhammad's time and later on in the Arabo-Spanish middle ages; as its name means a riddle or sieve, it probably had a rather large frame."
Wait... what? So riddle or sieve obviously equals a large frame? The logic here seems a bit lacking to me.
"In East Africa coronation drums must be struck with sticks made of human tibias, which likewise have a phallic significance. To provide fresh ones after the yearly coronation festival the royal drummers carry away all the drums except one; whichever ingenuous onlooker innocently brings this last drum, saying, "You have forgotten it," is immediately seized and killed, and his armbones are used as drumsticks."
A wonderful way to promote courteousy among the community.
"Yung-Lo, the third emperor of the Ming dynasty, ordered a mandarin to cast a bell which should be heard in every part of Peking. The mandarin obeyed, but the bell was honeycombed when the mold was detached from it. He made a second attempt and failed again. When, urged by the emperor, he tried a third casting, his lovely young daughter learned from an astrologer that success could only be secured if a maiden's blood were mixed with the ingredients. So when the melted metal rushed into the mold, she threw herself into the boiling fluid. While the unfortunate father, insane with sorrow, was taken home, the bell was found to be perfect."
Did she ever consider, maybe, making a wound and allowing her blood to mix with the ingredients, as opposed to boiling-metal ritual suicide?
(In reference to South American drums from antiquity,) "The material for the skin came from the llama or deer, and also sometimes from the human hide of slain enemies. Making use of a foe in this way was a method of acquiring his vigor and of terrifying the enemy, and was a well-known magic rite among American Indians. One ancient writer tells in detail how an Inca king, entering his capital after a rebellion, had the complete skins stripped from the live bodies of six subjugated chiefs; he then had them inflated in human shape, and ordered his soldiers to drum upon the stomachs."
That's ...one way to go...
(In a discussion of Indian drums,) "When a new singer appears, the town-people of the musical circle always produce their most trusted Tabalchi [tabla player] to try the new comer's capacity... and every possible cross rhythm is put forth to lure the Gavaya (singer) into the many pit-falls prepared for him."
You see, dislike for vocalists is an ancient and historical tradition. We ought to create pitfalls for vocalists at Crane in keeping with this.
(Describing reliefs, or carved art, from southeast Asia) "In a landscape two xylophones are placed alongside one another. A girl is playing on one of them while, in front of her, an older man, possibly her teacher, is playing the other. On the next relief practicing is brusquely interrupted; the two instruments are leaned against a tree and the professor withdraws with the girl in a somewhat impetuous manner. The third relief can be passed over, since it omits the xylophones as irrelevant to the situation."
Eeeew. And we CARVED this into artwork BECAUSE?
(Of drums from the Near East) "The method of holding the drum varies; the Egyptians, for instance, grasp the drums with both hands..."
They then strike the drum how? I got this great image of distinguished-looking Egyptian hieroglyphic people holding drums with both hands and smashing their faces into the heads of the drums. The later artwork would show broken noses and several people withdrawn from the music-making with severe headaches, I hope.
(Of Near Eastern frame drums,) "The girbal is mentioned in Muhammad's time and later on in the Arabo-Spanish middle ages; as its name means a riddle or sieve, it probably had a rather large frame."
Wait... what? So riddle or sieve obviously equals a large frame? The logic here seems a bit lacking to me.