Music of other cultures

[Gov Kodos]

I remember episodes where they played ferengi music, the horrible screechy stuff, fits them perfectly

Better still would have been to discover that the Ferengi are hearing a range of sound beyond human hearing , which when modulated into human hearing range sounded like Beethovan or Einstürzende Neubauten depending on the school of music.

 

[chuS'ugh]

I posted some youtube clips of Klingon Opera here:
http://trekbbs.com/showpost.php?p=4536741&postcount=22

 

[Gul Re'jal]

I didn't think about "classic" music for the Cardassians, but the "popular" music in my fanfic and how imagine that kind of music for them is something like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-2moJpFt_o

A mix of traditional and modern instruments. Traditional instruments related to a desert (I assume Cardassia is mostly a desert) culture led to me to African and Middle East rhythms.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Beautiful. I imagine there are songs like that in Cardassian culture...I've found the nuBsG soundtracks helpful to me too, for a similar reason.

As to Cardassian classical, someday if I have time I'll find some samples of what I think that's like...

 

[Gul Re'jal]

I'm glad you liked it

I'll have some more samples when I reach the place in my story when Gil Karama shares his favourite music with Lieutenant Kapoor

 

[chuS'ugh]

A Bajoran cabasa being played during the birthing ceremony in the DS9 episode "The Begotten"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkMFwMAeiR4

A Bajoran death ritual chant in the DS9 episode "Battle Lines":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9PpNKmzOHI#t=2m45s



Some more Klingon music (non-Klingon Opera)

Klingon Love Song "Akla Bella Doo"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8K9b2YW6Lo#t=2m29s

Klingon Drinking Song "'ej HumtaH 'ej DechtaH 'Iw"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTuD6xf-ync

Klingon War Song "Qoy qeylIs"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNTVzwjEyb4

Klingon tune "aler act'jar"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mxeFSauFKs



I can almost see the Cardassian/Minimalist connection. Almost!

 

[chuS'ugh]

I didn't think about "classic" music for the Cardassians, but the "popular" music in my fanfic and how imagine that kind of music for them is something like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-2moJpFt_o

A mix of traditional and modern instruments. Traditional instruments related to a desert (I assume Cardassia is mostly a desert) culture led to me to African and Middle East rhythms.

Nice--and ironically, the Klingon "Ballet" we're working on is heavily influenced by Mohammed Abdul Wahhab's "Alf Leyla Wah Leyla" (1000 Nights and a Night). We've already named it "wa'SaD ram wa'ram je" (translates as above) and based the narrative on a mixture of the Sheherezade story and the Odyssey.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

For Cardassian music in general...I always imagined it relying heavily on pattern and rhythm. Because they can't hear as well as humans, I figured that pattern/rhythm would be easier to distinguish and enjoy.

This is an example of what I think popular music could be like...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYD0GoFC47A

There are two different "strains" of music I think of, for Cardassian classical. One is a nuBsG type sound...the other is based on minimalist works by Steve Reich--which to me appeals to Cardassian precision (watch the focus of the musicians! Yet it's still so beautiful...). The focus here is rhythm. In the first piece, though, where the melody is the focus, the instrumentation (though powerful) is a bit sparser than we often hear in Western music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lq_BdJbFMg0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHVMVDhC-UA

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I remember episodes where they played ferengi music, the horrible screechy stuff, fits them perfectly

May I ask what episodes?

I have no clue, I tried to find it today, maybe someone can help me out here?

We have never heard Ferengi music on the shows, AFAIK.

 

[Gul Re'jal]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHVMVDhC-UA

I like this one very much. Very rhythmic indeed

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

I thought it would be nice, compared to what so many people think, to imagine Cardassians creating something of such great beauty. At least, I know I find it to be so.

 

[Gul Re'jal]

Well, the Cardassians buried their love for art but they used to be artistic people. I don't think their talents disappeared, they just don't "use" them any more. I have no problems with Cardassians creating beauty

 

[Satyrquaze]

Was "Melor Famagal" that the 'fat Ferengi' wanted to hear at the bar in "Unification part II" possibly Ferengi music?

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Well, the Cardassians buried their love for art but they used to be artistic people. I don't think their talents disappeared, they just don't "use" them any more. I have no problems with Cardassians creating beauty

I imagine that some still do create art--but in the main universe I imagine that there are "licenses" they are required to get, and that the government determines first, who is allowed to perform, and second, who gets the additional privilege of composition. And then everything they do is scrutinized.

Instrumentals I imagine as one of the few things that wasn't as severely impacted, because the listener can determine the story, and if you name them "dryly" enough (Concerto #2, etc.), it can keep the censors for figuring out if you're having dissident thoughts with your music, as long as you avoid known dissident songs and motifs.

 

[TerokNor]

In this computer game the music they have for cardassia also has a certain simple, minimalistic and repetious way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdJJlxdWLZk

TerokNor

 

[Gul Re'jal]

Speaking of computer games: I always felt that "New Worlds" music would fit the Cardassians too. Unfortunately I didn't find any good examples on You Tube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqO6wMf0QJg

I always imagined that their music "tells stories" about great battles and heroic skirmishes and this game fits it. Actually I'm not sure if I didn't come to that conclusion after listening to ST:NW sountrack

 

[Thor Damar]

Speaking of computer games: I always felt that "New Worlds" music would fit the Cardassians too. Unfortunately I didn't find any good examples on You Tube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqO6wMf0QJg

I always imagined that their music "tells stories" about great battles and heroic skirmishes and this game fits it. Actually I'm not sure if I didn't come to that conclusion after listening to ST:NW sountrack

It does sound suitably epic and I can see it being played on the official comcasts as the Union records another stunning victory.


I've found this on YT:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFfqRCAYUGQ

 

[Gul Re'jal]

Oh, I like it, the drrruuummmm especially, although it sounds a bit too "chaotic" at moments. (Darn, I havea deja vu, didn't I write it once already, while listening to this piece? ) For someone with not so good a hearing some of sounds--especially those high pitched--might not be heard.

But I like it a lot

I wonder what it is exactly. The description doesn't explain the source of this music.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

I imagine some Cardassian music tells battle stories, too. I'm sure composers are pretty much obligated to do that at least some of the time. But I think music without meaning might still be possible.

As to what pitches Cardassians don't hear so well, I'm not quite sure what part of their hearing it is that isn't like what humans have. But that was actually the other thing I liked about the Steve Reich piece...it seemed to be in a fairly tight frequency range.

 

[Rush Limborg]

For instance...for me, Cardassian music has become associated in my head with composers Reich (well, some of his later stuff, mainly 18 Musicians forward) and Glass--repetitive, pattern-driven, and probably with the greatest accomplishments being in abstracted stuff where artists don't have to worry about their music being construed as against the state. I know some would probably find maddening a lot of the Reich/Glass stuff I love, but to me, it just seems that a culture that has stuff like "repetitive epics" and "serialist" poets would thrive on this.

I'm actually listening to 18 Musicians right now...and you've made an excellent choice. It actually has an exotic "alien" quality...and is also haunting at points--even chilling--yet quite beautiful, in its own right.



Now...on Trill Music. Recall the "mysterious", organic music (with wood instruments and low strings) that played in "Facets" and "Field of Fire". I would say, at the very least, that was a sampling of Trill "religious" music.

Perhaps Ezri's theme from "Afterimage" is another example of Trill symphony.