Category Archives: Landscapes

Landscape 14: Aal (zan)

Imagination never fails to surprise in its seemingly limitless capacity to create mental images that stimulate the creation of artistic works. Aal (zan) [Ааль (зан)]  is a well-known traditional song performed by Mongolian musicians with their morin khuur. Without the song’s words or their English language translation, here is an arrangement for solo piano (more measured than my usual style) together with its simplified notation (see below).

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Personal Note

Last week on a highway not far from a small town in the Australian countryside, there was a horrific road accident. Someone very dear to us was very badly (and unexpectedly) hurt. Ever optimistic, together and alone, we await news of their progress and recovery. In a situation such as this, words alone, however well-assembled, seem inadequate. Something deeper that resonates heart-to-heart is required: a simple offering of thought-ful, gentle music along with our unfaltering support.

Notation

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Further Reading

 Letter from Mongolia 07: Music and Imagination

End of transcript.

Please refer to the INDEX for other music and articles that may be of interest.

© 2013-2025. CP in Mongolia. This post is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Documents and works linked from this page may be subject to other restrictions. Posted: 23 June. Last updated: 23 June 2025.