Richard J. Dumbrill is a British archaeomusicologist who was born in France. He has devoted his academic career to the study of the archaeomusicology of the Ancient Near East, especially the interpretation of cuneiform texts of Music Theory written in Sumerian, Babylonian and Hurrian.
Career
His interpretation of theory is based on his profound knowledge of Middle-Oriental Musicology. He has rejected previous interpretations which were based on Western Theory and therefore inadequate. One of his greatest achievements was the translation of the oldest song ever written found in northwest Syria at the site of Ugarit. He made reconstructions of ancient instruments, notably the Silver lyre of Ur hosted at the British Museum, with Myriam Marcetteau and the Elamite harp of the battle of Ulai, with Margaux Bousquet. He is the founder, with Irving Finkel of the International Council of Near Eastern Archaeomusicology at the Institute of Musical Research, School of Advanced Studies, University of London,. Richard Dumbrill has lectured at major world universities, including Harvard and Yale, but also Babylon, Beirut, Damascus, Leiden, Rotterdam, and Paris.
Works
Books
Semitic Music Theory
The Musicology and Organology of the Ancient Near East, second edition. Published thesis. Victoria, Canada.
Idiophones of the Ancient Near East in the Collections of the British Museum 121 pages, Publisher: Gorgias Pr Llc Language: English
The Silver Lyre of Ur Copyright Richard Dumbrill ICONEA PUBLICATIONS LONDON Published 28 May 2015
Musical scenes on Seals and Seal Impressions of the Ancient Near EastRichard Dumbrill ICONEA PUBLICATIONS LONDON 2015
The Truth about Babylonian Music Near Eastern Musicology Online 4 6 |2017-08| p. 91–121.
Hurrian Song H6, score, transcribed from the original Cuneiform text. ICONEA PUBLICATIONS - LONDON
Elegiac Poem to Ishtar, score, Composed by Richard Dumbrill ICONEA PUBLICATIONS - LONDON
An Old Babylonian Lullaby. Score. Set to music by Richard Dumbrill for the BBC. ICONEA PUBLICATIONS - LONDON
Ashurbanipal Wisdom Song. Score. This song was reconstructed by Richard Dumbrill after an original Wisdom poem dating from the first millennium BC. It was specially composed for the Great Ashurbanipal exhibition at the British Museum in November 2018. ICONEA PUBLICATIONS - LONDON.
''Song of Amun Re. Score. Composed by Richard Dumbrill on request from the Smithsonian Institution. ICONEA PUBLICATIONS - LONDON
Editor of Musical Traditions in the Middle-East. Proceedings of the International Conference held at Leiden University, 10-12 December 2009. Forthcoming.
