Damascus, SANA-
Within the activities of the Syrian Book Fair, Al-Assad National Library in Damascus held today a panel discussion entitled “The Oud: History, Industry and Advantages,” presented by Maestro Adnan Fathallah, Director of the Higher Institute of Music, musician Mohamed Sabsabi and Oud Maker Issa Awad.
The symposium included a number of topics related to the oud instrument and its industry throughout history, and interest in it in terms of learning and playing.
The beginning was with Issa Awad, who is considered one of the most prominent makers of the oud instrument, and who is interested in the details of its history. He spoke about the Damascene oud and its special character from the rest of the oud instruments in the world, as he considered it one of the most important ouds manufactured throughout history, and one of the minority associated with the name of the city that makes it, especially oud. “Abdo the Sculptor”, who possessed characteristics and decorations that modern techniques could not
imitate or extract, was one of the most expensive holdings in international museums.
Musician Mohamed Sabsabi, who is considered one of the most skilled oud players, in addition to being one of the developers of its industry, talked about how to make the oud and the methods used, old or new, when he entered the laser, which shortened the time and gave its results with high accuracy in thickness, decorations and drawings.
Sabsby pointed to the identity and personality of each oud according to the country in which it was made, whether Egyptian, Iraqi or Syrian, citing the school of the late Farid al-Atrash, explaining the reasons for the fame of the Damascene oud, and the criteria for its presence in European museums.
In his turn, Maestro Adnan Fathallah pointed out during his speech to the diversity of musical maqams in the lute strings, according to each school, in addition to the technical role in producing the sound, indicating the scientific aspects of the oud instrument and its use in practice and training to play it in accordance with the times.
Fathallah explained that the Syrian Oud School had transformed from audio to an academy since 1960, when musical institutes began teaching Oud, in addition to the contribution of the Higher Institute of Music to its development, to become an independent case in itself and a solo instrument with the orchestra.
The symposium concluded with a duet musical instrument on the oud for the song “Bint Al Shalabia”, presented by Maestro Fathallah and Sabsabi.
Khader Suleiman and Mahasin Awad
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