Reviews - Yehudi: Jewish Music From The Seraglio/L'Orient Imaginaire

Renaissance Man Review

Artist:   L'Orient Imaginaire
Album:    Yehudi: Jewish Music from the Seraglio
Date of
Release: 1996/10/01
Label:    Elektra/Asylum, Teldec
Cat. No.: Elektra/Asylum   11699
          Teldec           11699
ASIN:     B000000S8J
Country:
Genre/s: 1) World|Jewish|Trad.
          2) World|Middle Eastern
Sub-
Genre/s: 1) Sephardic
          2) Turkish Classical
Type:     Studio
Time:     61:35
Date of
Review:   2003/02/26
Web site: http://www.sarband.de/

Purchasing Info!

Yehudi - Jewish Music From The Seraglio/Jewish "Early Music" in the Sephardic Tradition
Released in 1996 on the Elektra/Asylum and Teldec labels, "Yehudi - Jewish Music From The Seraglio" is an album of Jewish Early Music in the Sephardic tradition, specifically, Ottoman art music (Turkish classical music) of the 18th to early 20th centuries by Sephardi Jewish composers at the Ottoman court.
L'Orient Imaginaire is led by its founder and artistic director, Bulgarian-born lutist and percussionist Vladimir Ivanoff, its other principal members being Mustafa Dogan Dikmen (voice, ney, kudum [sml. kettle drums]), Ihsan Mehmet Ozer (kanun), Ahmed Kadri Rizeli (kemence rumi), and Mehmet Cemal Yeslcay (ud). Ivanoff studied musicology, the other musicians come from a background at Turkish classical conservatories. The standard of musicianship and virtuosity is impeccable, matched by superb empathy among the players.
As far as this reviewer is aware, "Yehudi - Jewish Music From The Seraglio" is the first album of Turkish classical music to focus specifically on Sephardi Jewish composers, although numerous albums of Turkish classical music exist that include works by Jewish composers. The selection presented here is excellent in its range, covering as it does a period of some two centuries, as well as in the quality of the compositions, which are among the finest examples of Ottoman art music. A deep spirituality pervades this beautiful and beautifully performed music, and while the full gamut of emotions is explored, the prevailing mood is one of exquisite, yet calm, quiet extasy. L'Orient Imaginaire succeed brilliantly in bringing this wonderful music alive, reaching out to the ear as well as the heart.
The liner notes are superb and provide a brief history of the Sephardic Jews in Turkey as well as introductions to the instruments and Ottoman art music, and of course an overview of the composers represented.
Essential in any collection of Jewish music in general and Sephardic music in particular, "Yehudi - Jewish Music From The Seraglio" like all great music also has universal appeal. This album is exquisite.

© 2003 Renaissance Man/Rainlore. All rights reserved.

Track List:
1. Küçek Pesrevi (Faro) - 4:57
2. Segâh Beste (Musevi) - 4:30
3. Maye Taksim (Romano) - 4:45
4. Sedaraban Nakis/Yürük Semaîsi (Romano) - 4:04
5. Gülizar Pesrevi (Romano) - 5:00
6. Beyati Taksim (Romano) - 10:21
7. Ferahfeza Taksim (Varon) - 4:52
8. Acem-Asiran Sarki (Varon) - 2:45
9. Acem-Asiran/Saz Semaî (Efendi) - 4:28
10. Nihavent Sarki (Efendi) - 3:42
11. Kürdili Hicazkâr Taksim (Improvisation)
    Kürdili Hicazkâr Sarki (Usul: Düyek) (Efendi) - 5:02
12. Kürdili Hicazkâr Sarki (Efendi) - 2:45
13. Kürdili Hicazkâr Sarki (Efendi) - 3:52

Credits:
Mustafa Dogan Dikmen, voice, ney, kudum (sml. kettle drums)
Ihsan Mehmet Ozer, kanun
Ahmed Kadri Rizeli, kemence rumi
Mehmet Cemal Yeslcay, ud
Torgut Billur, percussion
Vladimir Ivanoff, percussion, artistic director
Fadia El-Hage, Belinda Sykes, choir

PURCHASING INFO:
Yehudi: Jewish Music from the Seraglio can be purchased:
From Jewish Music Distribution UK
Probably better CD stores

All images used on review pages and artists pages kindly supplied by the artists and/or their record companies, unless otherwise stated. All such images are copyright their respective owners, and all such copyrights and/or other intellectual rights hereby acknowledged.

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	`Artist: L'Orient Imaginaire` `Album: Yehudi: Jewish Music from the Seraglio` `Date of` `Release: 1996/10/01` `Label: Elektra/Asylum, Teldec` `Cat. No.: Elektra/Asylum 11699` `Teldec 11699` `ASIN: B000000S8J` `Country:` `Genre/s: 1) World\|Jewish\|Trad.` `2) World\|Middle Eastern` `Sub-` `Genre/s: 1) Sephardic` `2) Turkish Classical` `Type: Studio` `Time: 61:35` `Date of` `Review: 2003/02/26` `Web site: http://www.sarband.de/` `Purchasing Info!`
	Yehudi - Jewish Music From The Seraglio/Jewish "Early Music" in the Sephardic Tradition Released in 1996 on the Elektra/Asylum and Teldec labels, "Yehudi - Jewish Music From The Seraglio" is an album of Jewish Early Music in the Sephardic tradition, specifically, Ottoman art music (Turkish classical music) of the 18th to early 20th centuries by Sephardi Jewish composers at the Ottoman court. L'Orient Imaginaire is led by its founder and artistic director, Bulgarian-born lutist and percussionist Vladimir Ivanoff, its other principal members being Mustafa Dogan Dikmen (voice, ney, kudum [sml. kettle drums]), Ihsan Mehmet Ozer (kanun), Ahmed Kadri Rizeli (kemence rumi), and Mehmet Cemal Yeslcay (ud). Ivanoff studied musicology, the other musicians come from a background at Turkish classical conservatories. The standard of musicianship and virtuosity is impeccable, matched by superb empathy among the players. As far as this reviewer is aware, "Yehudi - Jewish Music From The Seraglio" is the first album of Turkish classical music to focus specifically on Sephardi Jewish composers, although numerous albums of Turkish classical music exist that include works by Jewish composers. The selection presented here is excellent in its range, covering as it does a period of some two centuries, as well as in the quality of the compositions, which are among the finest examples of Ottoman art music. A deep spirituality pervades this beautiful and beautifully performed music, and while the full gamut of emotions is explored, the prevailing mood is one of exquisite, yet calm, quiet extasy. L'Orient Imaginaire succeed brilliantly in bringing this wonderful music alive, reaching out to the ear as well as the heart. The liner notes are superb and provide a brief history of the Sephardic Jews in Turkey as well as introductions to the instruments and Ottoman art music, and of course an overview of the composers represented. Essential in any collection of Jewish music in general and Sephardic music in particular, "Yehudi - Jewish Music From The Seraglio" like all great music also has universal appeal. This album is exquisite. © 2003 Renaissance Man/Rainlore. All rights reserved.
	Track List: `1. Küçek Pesrevi (Faro) - 4:57` `2. Segâh Beste (Musevi) - 4:30` `3. Maye Taksim (Romano) - 4:45` `4. Sedaraban Nakis/Yürük Semaîsi (Romano) - 4:04` `5. Gülizar Pesrevi (Romano) - 5:00` `6. Beyati Taksim (Romano) - 10:21` `7. Ferahfeza Taksim (Varon) - 4:52` `8. Acem-Asiran Sarki (Varon) - 2:45` `9. Acem-Asiran/Saz Semaî (Efendi) - 4:28` `10. Nihavent Sarki (Efendi) - 3:42` `11. Kürdili Hicazkâr Taksim (Improvisation)` `Kürdili Hicazkâr Sarki (Usul: Düyek) (Efendi) - 5:02` `12. Kürdili Hicazkâr Sarki (Efendi) - 2:45` `13. Kürdili Hicazkâr Sarki (Efendi) - 3:52`
	Credits: `Mustafa Dogan Dikmen, voice, ney, kudum (sml. kettle drums)` `Ihsan Mehmet Ozer, kanun` `Ahmed Kadri Rizeli, kemence rumi` `Mehmet Cemal Yeslcay, ud` `Torgut Billur, percussion` `Vladimir Ivanoff, percussion, artistic director` `Fadia El-Hage, Belinda Sykes, choir`
	PURCHASING INFO: Yehudi: Jewish Music from the Seraglio can be purchased: From Jewish Music Distribution UK Probably better CD stores
	All images used on review pages and artists pages kindly supplied by the artists and/or their record companies, unless otherwise stated. All such images are copyright their respective owners, and all such copyrights and/or other intellectual rights hereby acknowledged.