Spranten music
The music of Spranten is distinctive both in style and in instrumentation and is a fundamental part of its identity.
History
The earliest record of music in Spranten is held in the library of Partisag Frega. This manuscript shows a small band of players, playing percussion, wind and string instruments, for a theatre event sometime in the second century. This arrangement into three instrumental groups is still the fundamental structure beneath the orchestra
Early pieces will have been played from memory and so it is hard to reconstruct the music of this period. However, by the fourth century, some songs were written with markings which may have been to help the singer find the tune. The first systematic notation is named Greka after the first piece of music found in it titled Greka Sprogeka Marli Gorke. The first music book is a codex now in Partisag Kilipre written in Greka. This uses an orchestra of twelve parts, including four of each section, a combination known as Uleptra Kanong.
The musical tradition flourished in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, especially in the great Courts. New styles were developed and, also, for the first time the names of composers are given.
During the period of occupation, music was one of the aspects of the culture of Spranten that kept its identity. Therefore, the revival of national identity in the 19th Century was accompanied by a revival in music. The return of the Uleptra Kanong, and the composition of new pieces that used other instruments, including brass instruments, in a traditional style.
Further developments in the music have included the introduction of recording and electric instruments in the 20th century and the development of new styles. The most exciting work is often combining new instruments, instruments from outside Spranten and designs derived from traditional instruments to develop a totally new style.
