Having been given the thorough information in the previous pages, this is a recapitulation and comparison of the facts and details previously given, along with a conclusion regarding their comparison in each of the categories: instrumentation, meter & rhythm, and tonality.
The Ottoman Mehter |
The Japanese Gunka |
Instrumentation
The instrumentation in both the Ottoman Mehter march and the Japanese Gunka included woods and percussion. Expanding further this obvious fact, both pieces included four types of percussion. While the Mehter selection, Ceddin Deden Artar, included three pitched (three drums) and one unpitched percussion (cymbals), the Japanese Gunka selection, Thousands of Enemies May Come, included two pitched (timpani, glockenspiel) and unpitched (snare, cymbals). These similarities in percussion are most likely due to the fact that these two musical styles are marches and rely on their definitive sound to outline the rhythm and tempo.
As far as wind instruments go, their only similarity is their inclusion of them, for when it comes to specific instruments, there are none which they have in common. This is likely due to the large time gap between the two music form's use: the 13th century Mehter will not have included brass that the 19th century Gunka would have had in their pieces.
As far as wind instruments go, their only similarity is their inclusion of them, for when it comes to specific instruments, there are none which they have in common. This is likely due to the large time gap between the two music form's use: the 13th century Mehter will not have included brass that the 19th century Gunka would have had in their pieces.
Meter & Rhythm
Both of these pieces share the exact same musical meter: simple and in duple time. Due to the fact that both these pieces are marches: the Mehter one because it is marched to, while for the Japanese Gunka selection, it's just a namesake because, as mentioned previously, they were not used on the battlefield.
Coming down to the rhythmical motifs encountered in the pieces, both their rhythmical continuos included clearly defined beats and then ornamentation before repeating again and again throughout the duration of the entire selection. Below are the diagrams again to show the rhythmical continuos of each piece.
Coming down to the rhythmical motifs encountered in the pieces, both their rhythmical continuos included clearly defined beats and then ornamentation before repeating again and again throughout the duration of the entire selection. Below are the diagrams again to show the rhythmical continuos of each piece.
One can see in the above figure (and also hear in the recordings) that in both selections beats one, two and three are clearly marked and defined, while after the "-te" of three and into four, there is ornamentation in the outlining of the beats before coming back to the clearly defined one, two, three. The Japanese Gunka takes two bars to repeat however, while the Mehter takes only one before repeating the continuo.
Tonality
The tonalities of the pieces are different, the former being in a minor key and the latter in a major key, them being B minor and then C major respectively. They share nothing in common when it comes to the tonality of the selections apart from the fact that they remain in the same key throughout the selection and there are no key changes in either piece.