The interrelationship of style and occasion in the Maltese spirtu pront

Abstract

The authors hypothesize that an investigation and exposition of the interrelationship of style and occasion will expose a new depth of understanding of both. Most descriptions of musical genres are normative in character and will not reveal the range of variation in the genre; except through additive or alternative statements. The question to which this paper addresses itself, then, is whether variations within the style are pertinent to, or restricted to, specific occasion for performance.

In Malta the most frequently performed style of folk music is the song duel, or spirtu pront. This is an improvised poetic duel, sung by two men, which develops a subject by means of complex metaphorical insult. The music is a mixture of European and Arabic styles, with guitar accompaniment in Western harmony. The music is the subject of considerable interest on the part of both the lower class and middle class in Malta; it is regarded as the significant Maltese folk form. Because of its widespread attractiveness, the spirtu pront occurs in a number of different contexts, ranging from private and informal moments to organlzed singing contests