7
Comments to sketches:
1.
Zurna (surnai), 2. Qumro, 3. Sinj (sindfij), 4. Dumbul (denbaal), 5. Duhul (dobul), what is hereby
implied is a large percussive tool inconvenient for transportation and played with drumsticks. The tool’s
image is nonetheless missing, 6. Dumbek (donbek), what is implied is a 4-stringed instrument known
as chahartar, with sketch missing, 7. Daf (def), 8. Daire (daireh), 9. Kos (kuus), 10. Goshanaghara
(
nagbareh), 11. Tabil-baz (thebli baas), 12. Mridangam (tympani), 13. Gara ney or garanay (kharanha),
14.
Nafir (nefir), 15. Shahnafir (sjacb nefir), 16. Setar (oud, reyxoeba), the sketch depicts setar however
the comments relate to an oud-shaped musical instrument, 17. Chehesdah (tfjehesdeh), 18. Kamancha
(
kamaantfjeh), 19. Pandura or kobiz, 20. Mughniye-shaped instrument, 21. Chang (tfjeng).
As it may be concluded, compared to other visitors, Kempfer tried to provide a more precise
transcription of the musical instruments described.
Archaeological finds supported by historic chronicles and literary sources provide evidence of about
60
various musical instruments historically used in Azerbaijan. These are gopuz, chang, roud, chagane,
robab, santour, barbed, Shirvan tanbour, choghur, ney, nusche, to mention a few. The State Museum
of Musical Culture of Azerbaijan is one of the depositories of these instruments today, which are a
part of vast museum collections numbering more than 50000 items.
Together with the most prevalent and nowadays popular Azerbaijani folk musical instruments like tar,
kamancha, saz, oud, balaban, zurna, tutek, tulum, kanon, dumbek, naghara, gosha naghara, gaval,
etc., these instruments are used and valued as an integral part of Azerbaijan’s musical heritage. They
are absolutely essential for the art of mugham that provides a sort of imprint of the Azerbaijani
people’s genetic code. They are equally important for the art of ashygs, the Azerbaijani minstrels and
folk singer poets. Both the mugham and the ashyg arts are nowadays recognized as a part of the
world’s intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO.
Along with deeply rooted traditions of being used in folk songs and dances, these musical instruments
were broadly used in the works of the classic Azerbaijani composers, starting with Uzeyir Hajibeyli,
the leading light in local music and the author of the first opera in the Muslim Orient (Leyli and
Majnun, 1908). It was U.Hajibeyli who succeeded in introducing tar, one of the most valued
Azerbaijani musical instruments, in the European orchestra. Enormous technical opportunities offered
by folk instruments augmented by the performers’ virtuosity made them widely used in professional
works by modern composers.
The Azerbaijan State Museum of Musical Culture is nowadays one of the country’s major musical
depositories of this kind. The Museum boasts of more than 50 thousand items, which, together with
other public and private collections, provide a valuable evidence of Azerbaijan’s deeply rooted musical
traditions and instruments. Cautiously preserved and cherished, they constitute a true national pride.
Traditional Musical Instruments of Azerbaijan