Esther M. Zimmer Lederberg
Galley Oars: Rower Positions
The music is Morisco music, found on Iberian Garden, Vol. 1 by
Altramar. The piece is Muwashshah: Mā li-l-muwallah, 1113-1198.
This music takes place at the beautiful gardens along the Guadalquiver, near Cordoba.
This is during the "convivencia" under Alfonso X (El Sabio - The Wise), the time
before Granda fell: when Christians, Moslems and Jews lived at peace with each
other. Muwashshah are songs in poetic form, with instrumental interludes in the
form of Ibn Bājja (Avempace): 1470-1520. This is Morisco art.
The Galley oarsmen start the stroke from the forward position,
pulling the oars, thus pulling the water. At the end of the stroke
the oarsmen are in the back position, ready for the next stroke.
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