Mahori
Encyclopedia
The mahori is a form of Thai and Cambodian classical ensemble which was traditionally played by women in the courts of both Central Thailand and Cambodia. It combines the xylophones and gong circles (but not the pi
Pi
' is a mathematical constant that is the ratio of any circle's circumference to its diameter. is approximately equal to 3.14. Many formulae in mathematics, science, and engineering involve , which makes it one of the most important mathematical constants...

, or oboe) of the piphat
Piphat
A piphat is a kind of ensemble in the classical music of Thailand, which features wind and percussion instruments. It is considered the primary form of ensemble for the interpretation of the most sacred and "high-class" compositions of the Thai classical repertoire, including the Buddhist...

with the strings of the khruang sai ensemble.

Historically the ensemble included smaller instruments more appropriate, it was thought, to the build of female performers. Today the ensemble employs regular sized instruments—a combination of instruments from both the khruang sai and piphat ensembles but excluding the loud and rather shrill oboe. The ensemble, which is performed in three sizes—small, medium and large—includes the three-string saw sam sai
Saw sam sai
The saw sam sai is a traditional bowed string instrument of Thailand. Its body is made from a special type of coconut covered on one end with animal skin, and it has three silk strings...

 fiddle, a delicate-sounding, middle-range bowed lute with silk strings. Within the context of the mahori ensemble, the saw sam sai
Saw sam sai
The saw sam sai is a traditional bowed string instrument of Thailand. Its body is made from a special type of coconut covered on one end with animal skin, and it has three silk strings...

 accompanies the vocalist, which plays a more prominent role in this ensemble than in any other classical Thai orchestra.

While Thai classical music was somewhat discouraged as being unmodern and backward looking during Thailand's aggressively nationalistic modernization policies of the mid-20th century, the classical arts have benefited recently from increased governmental sponsorship and funding as well as popular interest as expressed in such films as Homrong: The Overture
The Overture
The Overture is a 2004 Thai musical-drama film. A fictionalised account based on the life story of Thai palace musician Luang Pradit Phairoh , it follows the life of a Thai classical musician from the late 19th century to the 1940s...

(2003), a popular fictionalized biography of a famous early 20th century ranat ek
Ranat ek
The ranad ek is a Thai xylophone. It has 21 or 22 wooden bars suspended by cords over a boat-shaped trough resonator, and is played with two mallets. It is used as a leading instrument in the piphat ensemble....

player and composer Luang Pradit Phairao.
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