Istanbul is a rich breeding ground for all kinds of music traditions, because different cultures come together. With Hesperion XXI Jordi Savall offers Ottoman court music from the seventeenth century, alternated with Armenian and Sephardic folk music. A manuscript by Dimitrie Cantemir, a Moldovan prince and lutenist, serves as the leitmotiv. This Kitāb-i 'Ilmu' l Mūzīkī (the book of musicology)
… contains, in addition to sections on music education and notation, some 350 instrumental works, including some by Cantemir himself. Several Maqāms from this can be heard, preceded by a Taksim. A Taksim is an improvised prelude, based on the melody (maq¬ām) of the dance that follows. Although this music is quite complex both rhythmically and melodically, this repertoire can seem monotonous to Western ears. Savall avoids this by using the instruments in a versatile way. The rhythm also varies more than with most contemporary performers of 'traditional' Turkish music. (RS)more
