Takht (alternatively spelled Takhat) is the representative musical ensemble, the orchestra, of Middle Eastern music. In Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, and Jordan, the ensemble consists of the oud , the qanun , the kamanjah (or now alternatively violin ), the ney , the riq , and the darabukkah . [1]
The melody instruments may play heterophonically in octaves or perform solos. Instrumental forms include bashraf , sama'i , tahmilah , and dulab . The ensemble may be joined by a male or female vocalist and a group of four to six singers who provide the refrain sections. Vocal genres performed include dawr , muwashshah , layali , ma'luf , qasidah , and mawwal .
While the takht typically comprises between two and five musicians, a similar, but larger ensemble (numbering eight or more) is called a firqa in Arabic. [2]
