On March 14th, 15th and 16th, the Houston Symphony premiered Professor Karim Al-Zand’s newest composition, Al-Jazari’s Ingenious Clocks, a musical tribute to the elaborate timepieces crafted by a 12th-century inventor. The fairy-tale themed program also featured compositions of Korngold’s Violin Concerto and pieces from Prokofiev’s Cinderella.
Elephant Clock by Al-Jazari
Since 2000, Al-Zand has served as a professor of composition and theory at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. For this new composition, he drew inspiration from the inventive creations of Al-Jazari, a Muslim scholar and engineer often regarded as the father of robotics:
“It’s a pleasure to have a work commissioned and premiered by any orchestra, but the Houston Symphony is extra special for me, not only because it is my ‘hometown’ orchestra, but also because its membership includes so many friends, colleagues and former students,” Al-Zand said. “It’s always more inspiring to compose for individuals rather than simply for instruments. And the fact that these terrific musicians are also familiar faces makes the experience that much more rewarding.” news.rice.edu
Describing his inspiration, Professor Al-Zand writes:
“Al-Jazari’s Ingenious Clocks is inspired by the fantastical inventions of 12th-century Islamic polymath Ismail al-Jazari: scholar, inventor, engineer, artist and mathematician. His remarkable treatise, “The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices,” describes fifty machines he engineered to perform various tasks. Coupled with his colourful illustrations, the fountain, a band of mechanical musicians, a hydraulic “perpetual flute,” a self-cleaning washbasin, and a mechanised “butler” who prepares drinks. The book evokes a fairy-tale world of automated devices: a dancing water. Known as the “father of robotics” for his revolutionary work in engineering and automation, al-Jazari’s devices are fascinating both functionally and aesthetically.
But perhaps his most beautiful and captivating designs are his many mechanical clocks. These include elaborate candle clocks (triggered by dripping wax), an astronomical “castle clock,” a programmable clock of mechanical drummers (who beat out the hours!), a portable “scribe clock”, and a giant “elephant clock” (at right).
Al-Jazari’s Ingenious Clocks is an evocative time piece, a musical journey to a vivid world of invention and imagination. It captures the vision and whimsy of these enchanting time machines, built with a prescience that anticipates our automated modern world.”
The musical robot band designed by al-Jazari
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On March 14th, 15th and 16th, the Houston Symphony premiered Professor Karim Al-Zand’s newest composition, Al-Jazari’s Ingenious Clocks, a musical tribute to the elaborate timepieces crafted by a 12th-century inventor. The fairy-tale themed program also…
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