Early Music in Albania - The First Musical Bands

Abstract

The article brings data on historical continuity of Albanian music, even in terms of its execution, orchestral formations, which although undergo significant structural changes, it retain and implicit a primary ottoman structure. This appeared in the way of singing, original repertoire, until the instruments of hereditary and traditional archaic formations. They were in the new formations that came from the East, offered by the Ottoman Empire due to the movement of the orchestra and musicians, whether traveler, whether resident beside the official institutions. Particular attention is brought to the last musical situation in the nineteenth century regarding the establishment and operation of formations of music band (fanfare) in the city of Shkodra. Thanks to their repertoire these bands contributed to the promotion of patriotic and folk songs. However the amateur level, they turned towards performance incentives for the more advanced forms of cultivated Albanian music, having an important role in enhancing the cultural and artistic tastes in entertainment and society civilization. Keywords: Music, orchestra, oriental art, band.