Artur Simon

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Artur Simon (born May 6, 1938 in Wesermünde , today Bremerhaven ) is a German ethnomusicologist whose research focuses on Egypt , Sudan , Cameroon and Sumatra . From 1972 to 2003 he was head of the Berlin Phonogram Archive . In addition to over 100 musicological articles, he published music ethnological sound recordings and produced documentaries as an editor.

Life

After graduating from high school in Bremerhaven, Simon enrolled in physics and chemistry at the University of Göttingen in 1959 . He soon moved to the University of Hamburg to study musicology with Hans Hickmann and Hans-Peter Reinecke as well as ethnology , English and Arabic until 1968 . He also played in jazz bands and arranged dance music compositions. In 1959/60 Simon graduated from the piano playing class at the Hamburg University of Music and Theater . In 1971 he finished his studies with a dissertation on Egyptian folk music.

From 1972 to 2003 Simon was head of the ethnomusicology department at the Ethnological Museum in Berlin , where he was in charge of the phonogram archive. The music archive founded by Carl Stumpf and Erich Moritz von Hornbostel in 1904 housed over 160,000 recordings in 2006. Simon took over this position as the successor to Dieter Christensen, he further developed the archive through acquisitions for the musical instrument collection with ensembles from Africa and Asia. He was also able to publish a number of records and CD productions as well as book publications. From 1984 he also taught as an honorary professor at the Berlin University of the Arts (now the University of the Arts ).

Scientific work

At the center of Simon's field research is popular light music and ritual music in their cultural context. In 1972/73, following his dissertation, he stayed in Egypt and spent a longer period in Sudan over the next two years. His resulting publications deal, among other things, with the Muslim Nubian culture of Upper Egypt and Northern Sudan. Part of the recordings from 1973/74 with Nubian music from the four regions: around Wadi Halfa in the north, up the Nile around Abri , Delgo north of Kerma and Dongola as the fourth region, was released in 1980 as a double LP and in 1998 as a double CD . The only Nubian music instruments otherwise culturally rich region are accompanying the singing of the men's bowls lyre Kisir and the frame drum tar , the women give rhythm to their songs only by hand clapping, the small clay drum daluka or metal canister.

Simon made further trips to Sudan in 1980, 1982 and 2003. Musically outstanding is a CD production from 2002 by the ceremonial ensemble of ten one-tone trumpets ( waza ) by Berta on the Sudanese-Ethiopian border.

Research trips to other areas of Africa took Simon 1984 to Cameroon, Togo and Nigeria , 1990 again to Cameroon and to Nigeria 1986, 1988, 1989 and 2001. To the epic chants of the Cameroonian kerbstegzither mvet and the music of the Cameroonian xylophone mendzan , the Simons successors am Phonogramm-Archiv, Lars-Christian Koch, published on CD in 2005, Simon wrote the accompanying text.

A geographically distant research focus was Indonesia with longer stays in 1976, 1978 and 1981 in northern Sumatra and 1978 to 1981 on Java . In 1976 he was also in the mountains of Western New Guinea as part of a program of the German Research Foundation . With the various Batak groups on Sumatra and with other ethnic groups on the island of Borneo , he examined the ancient religious ideas and, above all, possession ceremonies , such as those in the form of the popular Islamic tsar cult in Sudan. In Egypt, the Dhikr prayer rituals were an issue.

In addition, Simon published introductions to music ethnology, texts on methodological issues, performance practice and topics related to instrumental science. Several documentary films about rituals and musical instruments of the Batak were made with the cameraman Franz Simon.

Artur Simon is a member of the International Council for Traditional Music (ICTM), the Association for African Studies in Germany (VAD), he is an honorary member of the Society for Music Research (GfM), he was a member of the study group for popular music (ASPM ) from 1986 to 1996 ), 1975 to 1987 in the International Society for Musicology (IGMW) and 1969 to 1988 in the International Society for Jazz Research .

Works (selection)

Independent works

  • Studies in Egyptian folk music. (Dissertation) 2 volumes. Verlag der Musikalienhandlung Karl Dieter Wagner, Hamburg 1972
  • Ethnomusicology: Aspects, Methods and Aims. Simon Publishing House for Library Knowledge, Berlin 2008
  • Kisir and Tanbūra. Dahab Khalil, a Nubian musician from Saï, in conversation with Artur Simon from Berlin. Simon publishing house for library knowledge, Berlin 2012

Essays

  • A Digo healing rite from a music-ethnological point of view. In: Association of Africanists in Germany (ed.): Problems of interdisciplinary African studies. Hamburg 1970, pp. 107-125
  • Dahab - a blind singer from Nubia. Music and Society in Northern Sudan. In: Baessler-Archiv NF 23. Berlin 1975, pp. 154–194 (reprint in A. Simon (Hrsg.): Musik in Afrika. Berlin 1983, pp. 260–283)
  • Islamic and African elements in the music of North Sudan using the example of the Dikr. Hamburger Jahrbuch für Musikwissenschaft 1. Hamburg 1975, pp. 249–278
  • To oboe drum music in Egypt. In: Max Peter Baumann , Rudolf Maria Brandl, Kurt Reinhard (eds.): New ethnomusicological research. (Festschrift Felix Hoerburger) Regensburg 1977, pp. 153–166
  • Fieldwork in the eastern highlands of West Irian (New Guinea). Communications from the German Society for Music of the Orient 14. Hamburg 1977, pp. 91–94
  • Field research with the Batak (North Sumatra) and on Nias. Announcements of the German Society for Music of the Orient 14. Hamburg 1977, pp. 95–98
  • Types and Functions of Music in the Eastern Highlands of West-Irian (New Guinea). Ethnomusicology 2.3. 1978, pp. 441-455
  • Problems, methods and goals of ethnomusicology. Jahrbuch für Musikische Volks- und Völkerkunde 9, 1978, pp. 8–52 (Reprinted in: The Garland Library of Readings in Ethnomusicology . Vol. 1. New York / London 1990, pp. 280–324)
  • Ancient religious and social ceremonies of the Batak (North Sumatra) . In: Zeitschrift für Ethnologie , 107, 2, 1982, pp. 177-206
  • Music in African obsession rites. In: A. Simon (Ed.): Music in Africa. Berlin 1983, pp. 284-296
  • Islam and Music in Africa. In: A. Simon (Ed.): Music in Africa. Berlin 1983, pp. 297-309
  • Functional Changes in Batak Traditional Music and its Role in Modern Indonesian Society. Asian Music 15.2. 1984, pp. 58-66
  • Introduction to ethnomusicology. Fernuniversität Hagen 1982. In: E. Kreft (Hrsg.): Textbook of Musicology. Düsseldorf 1985, pp. 533-620
  • The Terminology of Batak Instrumental Music in Northern Sumatra . In: Yearbook for Traditional Music , 17, 1985, pp. 113-145
  • African and Indonesian music between tradition and pop. (PDF; 1.3 MB) Study group for popular music / ASPM (ed.): Contributions to popular music research 2. Hamburg 1987. pp. 5–14
  • Social and Religious Functions of Batak Ceremonial Music. In: R. Carle (Ed.): Cultures and Societies of North Sumatra. Berlin / Hamburg 1987, pp. 337-349
  • Musical Traditions, Islam and Cultural Identity in the Sudan. Wolfgang Bender (Ed.): Perspectives on African Music. ( Bayreuth African Studies Series 9). Bayreuth 1989, pp. 25-41
  • Trumpet and Flute Ensembles of the Berta People in the Sudan. In: Jacqueline Cogdell Djedje, WG Carter (ed.): African Musicology. Current trends. A Festschrift presented to JH Kwabena Nketia . Volume 1. African Studies Center u. a., Los Angeles CA 1989, pp. 183-217
  • Syncretism and cultural identity in the musical cultures of Indonesia. In: P. Petersen (Ed.): Music Culture History. Festschrift for Constantin Floros. Breitkopf and Härtel, Wiesbaden 1990, pp. 527-542
  • Sound conceptions and cultural anthropology. In: Klaus-Ernst Behne, Ekkehard Jost u. a., (Ed.): Musicology as cultural studies. Festschrift for the 65th birthday of Hans-Peter Reinecke . Regensburg 1991, pp. 197-215
  • The Bornu Music Documentation Project. Applied Ethnomusicology and Cultural Cooperation in Northern Nigeria. In: Max Peter Baumann (Ed.): Music in the Dialogue of Culture: Traditional Music and Cultural Policy. Wilhelmshaven 1991, pp. 199-204
  • Avi Pwasi, a musical personality from Borno in an interview and self-portrayal. In: August Schmidhofer, D. Schüller (Ed.): For Gerhard Kubik : Festschrift on the occasion of his 60th birthday. Frankfurt am Main 1994, pp. 83-145
  • Musical Instruments of Indonesia and their Historical Relations to other Cultures. In: KW Niemöller, U. Pätzold, Ch. Kyo-chul (ed.): "Lux Oriente". Encounters of cultures in music research. Festschrift for Robert Günther on his 65th birthday. Kassel 1995, pp. 477-492
  • Quo vadis (ethno) musicology? Some thoughts on goals and methods as well as their implications for a modern musicology. In: Ch.-H. Mahling, St. Münch (Ed.): Ethnomusicology and historical musicology - common goals, same methods? Erich Stockmann on his 70th birthday. Tutzing 1997, pp. 128-138
  • On Berta's Music - Field Research in Sudan. In: P. Petersen, H. Rösing (Eds.): 50 Years of the Musicological Institute in Hamburg. Inventory - current research - outlook . In: Hamburger Jahrbuch für Musikwissenschaft , 16 ,. 1999, pp. 151-168
  • The tradition of unwritten music. In: Gereon Sievernich, Hendrik Budde (Ed.): 7 - Hills - Images and symbols of the 21st century VI . Berlin 2000, pp. 90-96
  • The Concept of the Berlin Phonogramm-Archiv and the Preservation of Unwritten Music. In: Gabriele Berlin, Artur Simon (Ed.): Music Archiving in the World. Papers presented at the conference on the 100th anniversary of the Berlin Phonogramm-Archiv. Berlin 2002, pp. 32-36
  • Recordings of the Music in Borno, North-eastern State of Nigeria. In: Bernd Hoffmann , Franz Kerschbaumer , Franz Krieger , Thomas Phleps (eds.): Festschrift Ekkehard Jost. Jazzforschung / Jazz Research 34. Graz 2002, pp. 215–230

Lexicon article

  • Ethnic music department, bow harp, spit lute, vina, snail trumpet, beaker drum, short-necked lute, transverse trumpet, lyre . In: Bels Art Library. The masterpieces from the Museum of Ethnology. Vol. 2. Stuttgart / Zurich 1980, pp. 106-120, panels 46-53
  • Music. In: Bernhard Streck (Hrsg.): Dictionary of Ethnology. Cologne 1987
  • Sub-Saharan Africa II., III.2–7.9, IV.2,5,6. In: Ludwig Finscher (Hrsg.): The music in past and present (MGG). 2nd revised edition, part 1. Kassel / Stuttgart 1994, Sp. 75–170
  • Double reed instruments. In: MGG. Part 2. Kassel / Stuttgart 1995, Sp. 1405-1428
  • Improvisation (music ethnology) . In: MGG . Part 4. Kassel / Stuttgart 1996, Sp. 600–604 / 611
  • Indonesia (IV. Sumatra / VI. Popular music and supra-regional forms) . In: MGG. Part 4. Kassel / Stuttgart 1996, Sp. 824-838, 843-845, 851f
  • Polyphony. (A. Introduction and systematics). In: MGG. Part 5. Kassel / Stuttgart 1996, Sp. 1766–1772
  • Modal melody concepts (I. Introduction) . In: MGG . Part 6. Kassel / Stuttgart 1997, Sp. 354–356.
  • Ethnic Music Today. In: MGG. Part 6. Kassel / Stuttgart 1997, Sp. 1262–1265, 1267–1270, 1278–1279, 1280–1291
  • Oceania (I. Introduction; II. Melanesia) . In: MGG. Part 7. Kassel / Stuttgart 1997, Sp. 1271–1293
  • Music in the Sudan. Ruth M. Stone (Ed.): Africa. The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music I. New York / London 1998, pp. 549-573
  • A Highland People: the Eipo. In: Adrienne L. Kaeppler, Jacob W. Love (Eds.): Irian Jaya Province of Indonesia, Australia and the Pacific Islands. The Garland Encyclopedia of the World Music 9. New York / London 1998, pp. 591-595
  • Sudan. In: The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Volume 24. London 2001, pp. 653-659

As editor

  • The Berlin Phonogram Archive. Collections of the world's traditional music. Publishing house for science and education, Berlin 2000
  • Music in Africa. 20 contributions to the knowledge of traditional African musical cultures. Publications of the Museum of Ethnology NF40. Berlin 1983

Discography

As editor of the Berlin Phonogram Archive - Historical Sound Documents:

  • Drum recordings of Japanese music (1901–1913). 2003 (BPhA-WA 1)

The Museum Collection Berlin CD series published by Artur Simon includes the following own recordings:

  • With Eckehart Royl: Music from the mountains of West New Guinea (Irian Jaya) . Six CDs, 1993 (CD 20 series)
  • Music of the Nubians, North Sudan. Two CDs, 1998 (CD series 22/23)
  • Instrumental music of the Toba and Karo Batak, North Sumatra, Indonesia. Two CDs, 1999 (CD 24/25 series)
  • Waza. The music of Berta on the Blue Nile. 2003 (SM 1708 2)
  • With Alber Noah Messomo accompanying text to: Mvet ai Mendzang. The music of the Beti in Cameroon. Published by Lars-Christian Koch, 2005 (SM 1711 2)

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Music of the Nubians. Museum Collection Berlin 22/23, 1998. Photos by Artur Simon. Two booklets with a total of 152 pages
  2. ↑ Instrumental music of the Toba and Karo Batak. North Sumatra / Indonesia. Museum Collection Berlin 24/25. 1999. Double CD. Recordings by Artur Simon 1976–1981. Booklet 184 pages
personal data
SURNAME Simon, Artur
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German ethnomusicologist, university professor and museum director
DATE OF BIRTH May 6, 1938
PLACE OF BIRTH Wesermünde