Geographically Albania is divided into two main regions: northern Ghegeria and southern Toskeria. The southern part (Toskeria) consists of two sub-regions, Toske and Laberia. These share many commonalities yet the musical styles of each are distinctly different. The Shkumbini River serves as a boundary between the two main regions, as well as a cultural divide distinguishing the varying musical performances and styles. Monodic music is practiced mainly in the north whilst polyphonic music is most commonly performed in the south. These two diverse systems impact on the folk songs of the two regions making them sound significantly different. In addition, different folk instruments are used in both regions. The instrumental and vocal monodic music of the north (Ghegeria) is based on the modal system, with Dorian, Aeolian, Mixolydian, Phrygian, Lydian, Ionian and Hypolydian modes being used. The songs of the north typically portray important historical events or heroic deeds, while the southern songs are not as nationalistic and cover various social themes. They are in general a lot softer and more melodic in character. The folk music of the south (Toskeria) is based on the pentatonic scale, with significant differences which are noticed within the two sub-regions (Toske and Laberia). The vocal music of the south consists of two, three or four vocal parts singing a capella, although sometimes instrumental accompaniment is added. The polyphonic music of the sub-region of Toske is characterized by imitative elements utilized in both the melodies and rhythms of the songs, providing a sense of thematic unity, whereas in Laberia contrasting elements are more dominant throughout the songs. Despite these differences, iso (or drone) is performed similarly in both sub-regions, and is another important element in the polyphonic music of the south. A notable form of instrumental polyphonic music of Toskeria is that of Kaba, performed by Saze folk ensembles. What distinguishes Albanian polyphonic folk music from its counterparts in other areas of the world is that it has not only survived but is flourishing in modern times. Unlike many other cultures that have excluded polyphonic music from mainstream society, Albanian polyphonic music is known by most Albanians and is well practiced and enjoyed by all age groups, and rural as well as urban Albanians, regardless of their degree of formal musical training / Dissertation (MMus)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Music / unrestricted

Im Gegensatz zu in der Strawinsky-Literatur geläufigen Ansichten zur Bedeutung von Oktatonik für Strawinskys Werk kann dessen ›Leitharmonie‹ als ein verschlungenes pentatonisches Netzwerk verstanden werden: Das diesem zugrundeliegende melodische Pattern – kleine Terz, Ganzton – ist aus der anhemitonischen pentatonischen Skala ableitbar, welche Strawinsky in einem Brief von 1913 als ›pseudo-chinesische Skala‹ bezeichnet hatte. Im Unterschied zu gängigen oktatonischen Interpretationen hebt mein Zugang die ›Pentatonisierung‹ des chromatischen Tonraums hervor und beleuchtet zwei Beispiele dieses verschleierten ›Pentatonizismus‹, die der zweiten Kompositionsphase der Oper Le Rossignol (1913–14) vorangehen: erstens eine Leitharmonie-Skizze zur Einleitung des ersten Akts (1908–09), wo orthographische und modale Eigenheiten die Gegenwart der ›pseudo-chinesischen Skala‹ maskieren; zweitens einige Stellen in L’Oiseau de feu (1909), wo dieselbe Skala wiederum durch eine vertikale Überlagerung pentatonischer Ketten mit Kleinterz-Ganzton-Zellen verschleiert ist. Eine Charakterisierung dieser bislang kaum untersuchten Techniken verlangt es, der Schlüsselrolle der pentatonischen Skala in den zwei besprochenen (wie auch möglicherweise in anderen zwischen 1908 und 1914 entstandenen) Werken Aufmerksamkeit zuzuwenden. ›Pentatonizismus‹ – eine oft vernachlässigte Facette von Strawinskys Kompositionspraxis um 1910 – kann sowohl auf den Einfluss einer modernen Pariser als auch der traditionellen chinesischen Klanglichkeit zurückgeführt werden; er manifestiert sich in der ›Leitharmonie‹ und durchdringt Strawinskys Musik auch jenseits von Chinoiserien in der Oper. / The present study offers an alternative understanding of Stravinsky’s ›Leitharmonie‹ that reads it as an intricate pentatonic network instead of octatonicism. The underlying melodic pattern – minor third with whole tone – is derivable from the anhemitonic pentatonic scale, which Stravinsky referred to in a letter from 1913 as the ›pseudo-Chinese scale‹. Contrary to existing octatonic interpretations, my approach highlights the ›pentatonicisation‹ of the chromatic pitch space and illuminates two instances of this disguised pentatonicism that precedes the second composition phase of the opera, Le Rossignol (1913–14): firstly, a ›Leitharmonie‹ sketch for the Introduction to Act I (1908–1909), where orthographical and modal idiosyncrasies mask the presence of the ›pseudo-Chinese scale‹; secondly, several passages in L’Oiseau de feu (1909), where the same scale is again veiled through vertical superimposition of pentatonic chains with minor-third-major-second cells. A characterisation of these little-examined techniques calls for critical attention to the key roles of the pentatonic scale in the two discussed works (and potentially others created between 1908 and 1914). Pentatonicism – an oft-neglected facet of Stravinsky’s compositional practice around 1910 – can be traced back to the influence of modern Parisian as well as traditional Chinese sonorities; it manifests in ›Leitharmonie‹ and penetrates Stravinsky’s music beyond the chinoiseries in the opera.

Se Enkhbayar (b. 1956) is one of the most important contemporary Mongolian composers in China. His choral tone poem, Önchin Botog, integrates the traditional Mongolian musical elements Urtiin Duu (long song) and Khöömii (throat singing) with modern choral music and is one of the most representative works in the genre of modern Mongolian choral music. The purpose of this study is to provide a performance guidance for non-Mongolian musicians on Se Enkhbayar's work, Önchin Botog, by presenting his biographical and cultural backgrounds, discussing the use of traditional Mongolian singing styles, special rhythmic patterns (horse-step rhythm) and Chinese pentatonic scales. For conductors, this guide can shorten preparation time by providing musical analysis for artistic interpretation and practical points for sound effect creation. For solo singers, this guide will enable a Bel Canto singer to sing Urtiin Duu in Mongolian singing style. For Khöömii singers, this guide provides supplementary practical suggestions.

In this paper, I explore the early musical language of McCoy Tyner. Today, Tyner is recognized mostly for his use of quartal harmony and pentatonic scales despite having made recordings in his early career that reflect a more mainstream approach. In an effort to expand how Tyner is represented, I argue that Tyner's early style was characterized by a graceful balance of tradition and innovation, a masterful blend of bebop syntax with pentatonic melodies and quartal harmonies. The recordings that I analyze and discuss are: "Effendi," "Cousin Mary," and "Newport Romp." I transcribed and analyzed selected portions of these recordings in order to better understand his early musical language as a soloist from 1962 to 1963. A portion of this paper is focused on the early reception of Tyner, which acknowledged him as an accomplished mainstream player with a firm grasp of the jazz tradition. Ultimately, my analysis shows that Tyner's early style was a balance of tradition and innovation, incorporating bebop syntax, pentatonic melodies, and quartal harmonies.