This work is an instrumental investigation into phonetic aspects of Qur’anic recitation as performed in Egypt today. Particular attention is given to comparisons between styles, voice registers, and trained and untrained performers.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Chapter I explains the aim, scope and outline of the study.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Chapters II to VI presents a historical background to the Qur’an, the discipline of Tajwid, styles of recitation as performed in Egypt today, the informants’ educational background (religious and artistic) and the material recorded by the subjects and the recording procedures.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Chapters VII and VIII present the results of our instrumental investigation of voice registers and vowel prolongation.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
While ‘voice register’ is not subject to prescriptive rules of Tajwid, ‘vowel prolongation’ is (at least in principle) subject to very specific rules concerning phonetic contexts and degree of prolongation.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Chapter VII presents the results of the measurements undertaken and provides information concerning pitch range, the ‘resonance balance’ and ‘open quotient’ in the various registers.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Chapter VIII deals with the phonetic environments for vowel prolongation, the scholars’ analyses of these environments, and analyses the results of the present investigation in comparison with previous studies.<\/p>\r\n