Second Meeting of the ICTM Study Group on Music of the Turkic-speaking World,
May 26 – 30, 2010, at the Free University of Berlin, Germany


The Study Group on Music of the Turkic-speaking World has been formed in 2006.
The First Study Group Meeting was held at the SOAS, University of London in 2006.
(The proceedings of this meeting recently have been published, see ICTM Members recent publications). We are pleased to announce its second meeting, to be held May 26 – 30, 2010 in Germany, at the Free University of Berlin, hosted by the Institute of Turcology.

Topic of the Meeting:

Vocal Traditions of Free-metric Singing in Eurasia

Speech and singing – interchanges in which both within the development of mankind are standing, are discussed in various theories, partly also divergently. Important research fields in this context are such forms of literature designated to be sung, poetry being set to music. Being in use in many cultures -past and present, in secular and sacral context - they seem to reach back to prehistoric times.

The Second Meeting of the ICTM Study Group on Music of the Turkic-speaking World will set focuss on free-metric singing traditions within a far-reaching and complexe cultural area, determined by its transcontinental hugeness as well as its manifold interactions of most different and partly also marginal cultures.

Within Eurasia and Turco-mongolic speaking areas, up to nowadays free-metric singing styles are still practised by performers, like bards, singing poets, wandering minstrels, who represent - as performers as well as mediators, conoisseurs -
a crucial part of the heritage of old traditions, f. i. epic performances, shamanistic ceremonies, lamentation songs, religious chants in and out of ceremonial context.

Which are the genres containing free-metric singing? Which are the structures of poetry and music? Specific types of melody in free metric style are in the focus of contemplation, specifiying their chracteristic features of structure, like „long melodies“, wide ambitus, ornaments, melisms and vocalises, descending melos, parlando, recitativo style.

What is their position in regard to a possible scala of evaluation within the music culture? What is their meaning for every individual person, f. i. of being an identifying marker? What is the role of the performers in the society, which are the grades of estimation by the society?

For further information please contact:

Dorit Klebe: dorit.klebe@fu-berlin.de