ISTANBUL - DIMITRIE CANTEMIR: HESPERION XXI, SAVALL (SACD)

Hespèrion XXI
JORDI SAVALL
Dimitrie Cantemir’s Book of the Science of Music, which has served as the historical source for our recording, is an exceptional document in many ways; first, as a fundamental source of knowledge concerning the theory, style and forms of 17th century Ottoman music, but also as one of the most interesting accounts of the musical life of one of the foremost Oriental countries. This collection of 355 compositions (including 9 by Cantemir), written in a system of musical notation invented by the author, constitutes the most important collection of 16th and 17th century Ottoman instrumental music to have survived to the present day. I first began to discover this repertory in 1999, during the preparation of our project on Isabella I of Castile, when our friend and colleague Dimitri Psonis, a specialist in Oriental music, suggested an old military march from the collection as a musical illustration of the date commemorating the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman armies of Mahomet II.

1. Taksim (Kanun, Vièle, Oud, Kemence et Tanbur) Improvisation
2. Der makām-ı ‘Uzzâl uşūleş Devr-i kebīr – Mss. Dimitri Cantemir (118) Anonym (ancien)
3. Los Paxaricos (Isaac Levy I.59) – Maciço de Rosas (I.Levy III.41) Sépharade (Turquie)
4. Taksim (Kanun) Improvisation
5. Der makām-ı Muhayyer uşūleş Muhammes (Mss. D.Cantemir 285) Kantemiroğlu
6. Chant et Danse (2 Duduk et percussion) Tradition Arménienne
7. Taksim (Oud) Improvisation
8. Der makām-ı Hüseynī Semâ’î (Mss. D.Cantemir 268) Baba Mest
9. El amor yo no savia (I.Levy II.80) Sépharade (Esmirna) 10. Taksim (Lira) Improvisation
11. Der makām-ı Şūri Semâ’î (Mss. D.Cantemir 256) Anonyme (ancien)
12. Lamento: Ene Sarére (2 Duduk) Barde Ashot (Arménien)
13. Madre de la gracia (I. Levy III.29) Sépharade (Turquie)
14. Taksim (Kanun, Tanbur, Santur et Oud) Improvisation
15. Der makām-ı [Hüseynī] uşūleş Çenber (Mss. D.Cantemir 96) Edirne’li Ahmed
16. Taksim & Makam «Esmkhetiet-Yis kou ghimeten-Tchim guichi» Barde Sayat Nova (Arménien)
17. Taksim (Kanun, Tanbur et Oud) Improvisation
18. Der makām-ı ‘Uzzâl uşūleş Berevsan (Mss. D.Cantemir 148) ‘Alí H^äce (Ali Hoca)
19. Venturoso Mançevo (I. Levy II.58) Sépharade (Esmirna)
20. Taksim (Kemence, Kanun, Oud et Tanbur) Improvisation
21. Der makām-ı Hüseynī Sakīl-i Ağa Rıżā (Mss. D. Cantemir 89) Anonyme (ancien)