Ibrāhīm b. al-Mahdī (music) - Encyclopaedia of Islam, THREE
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[Article]
First Statement of Responsibility
Sawa, George Dimitri
.PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION, ETC
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Leiden
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Brill
GENERAL NOTES
Text of Note
(428 words)
SUMMARY OR ABSTRACT
Text of Note
Ibrāhīm b. al-Mahdī (162-224/779-839) was a poet, composer, and outstanding singer of the ʿAbbāsid era. Isḥāq al-Mawṣilī (d. 235/850), the most famous musician and historian of the period, acknowledged al-Mahdī's excellent musicianship and musical knowledge, despite their disputes over theoretical issues such as the nature of four rhythmic modes and over the performance of the old repertoire. In the latter, Ibrāhīm took considerable liberty with changes and ornamentation, thus irritating Isḥāq. Despite their differences, Ibrāhīm b. al-Mahdī was able to sing