Album

Montreal-based ensemble Constantinople elegantly straddles the worlds of early music and living folk musics, particularly those of the countries surrounding the Mediterranean. Its lively engagement with current folk traditions informs its performances of early music so that without consulting the program it would be difficult to tell which pieces are medieval dances, which are thirteenth century Cantigas de Santa Maria, which are folk pieces, and which are composed or improvised by the members of the ensemble. The album is organized as a sort of sonic travelog of a journey from Spain across the Mediterranean and Aegean, over the deserts of Persia to the legendary White Palace of Tamerlane in Samarkand (now part of Uzbekistan). The application of current folk traditions of the Mediterranean and Middle East to the older repertoires gives them real vitality and informs the newer compositions just as fully. The instruments, which include lute, oud, recorder, setar, gamba, vielle, and a broad array of percussion often play in unison, or in heterophony (which sounds like an ornamented version of unison) and the timbres are wonderfully colorful and exotic. The group's sense of ensemble is nuanced and organic; it's easy to tell that these players intimately know and listen to each other. Atma's sound is characteristically pristine but warm and atmospheric. The CD, like all of Constantinople's releases, should delight fans of both early music and folk musics of the Middle East.

© Stephen Eddins, Rovi

CD 1
Kiya Tabassian Composer Louange à la mer (after the Cantigas de Santa Maria), for ensemble Work Constantinople Ensemble, Kiya Tabassian Director
1	Louange à la mer (after the Cantigas de Santa Maria), for ensemble	6:08			$0.99
Guy Ross Composer Barabam, for voice & ensemble Work Constantinople Ensemble, Kiya Tabassian Director
2	Barabam, for voice & ensemble	4:31			$0.99
Guy Ross Composer Vermiculus, for ensemble Work Constantinople Ensemble, Kiya Tabassian Director
3	Vermiculus, for ensemble	5:46			$0.99
Guy Ross Composer Parfums des steppes, for ensemble Work Constantinople Ensemble, Kiya Tabassian Director
4	Parfums des steppes, for ensemble	9:43			$1.49
Korkut Composer Kürdi pishrow, Devr-é kebir, for ensemble Work Constantinople Ensemble, Kiya Tabassian Director
5	Kürdi pishrow, Devr-é kebir, for ensemble	5:43			$0.99
Acemler Composer Beyâti pishrow, düyek, for ensemble Work Constantinople Ensemble, Kiya Tabassian Director
6	Beyâti pishrow, düyek, for ensemble	5:02			$0.99
Anonymous, Arabic Composer Ossoul (Radif persan), for ensemble Work Constantinople Ensemble, Kiya Tabassian Director
7	Ossoul (Radif persan), for ensemble	4:42			$0.99
Constantinople Composer Châhâr-gâh, improvisation for ensemble Work Constantinople Ensemble, Kiya Tabassian Director
8	Châhâr-gâh, improvisation for ensemble	2:31			$0.99
Anonymous, Arabic Composer Hodi (Cho fardâ barâyad...), for ensemble Work Constantinople Ensemble, Kiya Tabassian Director
9	Hodi (Cho fardâ barâyad...), for ensemble	3:23			$0.99
Kiya Tabassian Composer L'ivresse de koumiss (after the Cantigas de Santa Maria), for ensemble Work Constantinople Ensemble, Kiya Tabassian Director
10	L'ivresse de koumiss (after the Cantigas de Santa Maria), for ensemble	5:02			$0.99
Anonymous Composer Gachyari Garalar, traditional Uzbek song Work Constantinople Ensemble, Kiya Tabassian Director
11	Gachyari Garalar, traditional Uzbek song	4:28			$0.99
Anonymous Composer Ranolan Masun, traditional Uzbek song Work Constantinople Ensemble, Kiya Tabassian Director
12	Ranolan Masun, traditional Uzbek song	4:11			$0.99
Kiya Tabassian Composer Con razon nas creaturas / Non pod'ome pela Virgen (after the Cantigas de Santa Maria), for ensemble Work Constantinople Ensemble, Kiya Tabassian Director
13	Con razon nas creaturas / Non pod'ome pela Virgen (after the Cantigas de Santa Maria), for ensemble	7:54			$1.49