John Erlich - 11-12-2008 at 01:46 PM
Hi All,
I am looking for more recordings of Classical Arabic music in a takht-type setting. Vocal music is good, but I particularly want instrumental Arabic
"art" music.
Here are some "takht sharqi"-type Arabic art music recordings that I like:
Arabic Classic Tune Band: http://www.buyarabic.com/storeItem.asp?ic=MUAR002438
Morkos Ensemble, “Cedre”: http://www.amazon.com/Cedre-Arabo-Andalusian-Muwashshah-Ensemble-Mo...
Husain Sabsaby Khumasee al-Museeqa al-Arabiya: http://www.oudsabsaby.com/music/sound.htm
Samer Totah, “Ghofran”: http://www.paltime.com/product_info.php?cPath=55&products_id=58...
Nidaa Abu Mrad, e.g.: http://www.buyarabic.com/storeItem.asp?ic=MUAR001491
Examples of recordings I like less:
RIAD ABDEL JAWAD - AL TARAB EL ASSIL: http://www.rashid.com/search_result.asp
Naseer Shamma & al-Oyoun: http://www.amazon.com/Hilal-Arab-Chamber-Music/dp/B000CNETDY/ref=sr...
As the Totah's "Ghofran" recording shows, more complicated or "technical" is not necessarily better, especially when it comes to original
compositions.
Thanks and best,
John
tchandler - 11-13-2008 at 10:12 AM
Hi John,
Do you have the Al-Kindi stuff?
Rashid has a new group called Twais, I don't have it but the sound clips sound nice.
Also Jalal Joubi, a little more groove-driven.
I got one of those cheapy looking "Arabian Oud vol. 2" featuring Wael El Mahallawy that I like alot.
The Muwashshahat CD by Ghada Shbeir is incredible, so is the Takht CD by Sonia Mbarek
I also really like Karim Naji's Eastern Classical Music Live disc.
Except for Sonia Mbarek, most of these are available on Rashid, by searching classical arabic music or classical arabic songs.
Not to deluge you (!) I really like Amos Hoffman's disc Na'ama. He's an Israeli guitarist, but his oud playing is very nice.
best
tom
John Erlich - 11-13-2008 at 04:53 PM
Hi Tom,
Thanks. Yes, I have some of the Al-Kindi stuff and one of Sonia Mbarek. I have also recommended the cheesey oud song CDs in this very Forum as an
excellent example of how to embellish simple folk and popular melodies.
My main interest is Arab compositions and/or recordings in the Ottoman-style forms (bashraf/peshrev, lunga/longa, sama'i/semai, etc.).
All the best,
John
Brian Prunka - 11-26-2008 at 10:44 AM
Hi John,
There's an old recording by Salah 'Arram entitled "golden strings orchestra - classical arabic music" that's very good egyptian interpretations of the
ottoman type repertoire. As far as I know, it's only available from Rashid's.
Also, the Slah Manaa Ensemble "Art of Arabic Folk Music" is good, it's a mix of classical and folkloric pieces.
The Classical Arabic Orchestra of Aleppo has an album called "Ottoman-Arabic Classical Instrumentals" that should be easy to find (I got this and the
Slah Manaa ablums off of Emusic)
If you come across anything you particularly like, please inform us, too. I think this style has lots of fans here but there are not a lot of great
recordings.
John Erlich - 12-2-2008 at 12:45 PM
Hi Brian,
Thanks for your input! You are so right on both accounts: Few recordings; many fans.
I've got an old cassette version of the Salah 'Arram recording: http://www.israel-music.com/golden_strings_orchestra/classical_inst... It's not bad. Interestingly, they take all of the Ottoman pieces at a much slower tempo than any Turkish recording I've ever heard.
I have the Slah Manaa CD and listen to it frequently.
I will look for the Classical Arabic Orchestra of Aleppo. I will post a link if I can find a site selling the physical CD.
It is interesting to compare the how much more "art" music is available in Turkey (a quick look on Tulumba.com will confirm this) and Iran (I like
Music Box LA for on-line ordering: http://www.musicboxla.com/) than in the Arab World. I suppose this has to do with history and politics and the need for an indigenous and
independent intellectual elite to support a local art music scene.
Peace,
John
Brian Prunka - 12-5-2008 at 10:08 AM
You're welcome John.
I'd be interested in hearing the version from your cassette . . . the CD version has a darbouka dubbed in . . . it's not bad, actually pretty
tastefully done, but if you have the old version with only riq, I'd love to hear it. The version on the website you posted has the darbouka.
I think that the Arabs almost always play the Ottoman repertoire at slower tempos, though some Syrian musicians seem to take them closer to the
Turkish tempos.
Re: Turkish vs. Arabic support for art music, I could be wrong, but I get the impression that there is much more support for indigenous classical
music at the state level in Turkey, and very little in most of the Arab world.
John Erlich - 12-5-2008 at 03:00 PM
"Re: Turkish vs. Arabic support for art music, I could be wrong, but I get the impression that there is much more support for indigenous classical
music at the state level in Turkey, and very little in most of the Arab world. "
Based on the (admittedly limited) info I have, I would have to agree with you.
I would be willing to copy the cassette for you, since you already own the CD. Do you want to do a music trade?
Best,
John
Brian Prunka - 12-5-2008 at 04:23 PM
Thanks, John, that would be great. Do you have a way to record it to mp3 or cd? I don't have a cassette player anymore . . . otherwise I'll just
find someone who has a cassette player.
I'm sure I have something to trade that would be of interest to you. email me off-list:
b p r u n k a [ ] e a r t h l i n k . n e t
John Erlich - 12-9-2008 at 10:09 AM
Hi Brian,
Did you get my email? It looks like we are talking about two different recordings...all the more reason to do a music trade!
I have attached an image of the cover of "Instrumental Selections from the Classical Music of the Middle East." I have the cassette. Unfortunately,
I have not yet acquired the capability to convert cassettes to CDs.
Let me know if you are interested.
All the best,
John
suz_i_dil - 1-21-2009 at 01:36 PM
Hello John,
try to listen to the CD of Nida Abu Mrad you were talking about, it is a beautiful work.
The composition are played by a classical ensemble.
John Erlich - 1-25-2009 at 09:12 PM
Hi Folks,
I found 2 CDs, one which I can recommend whole-heartedly, one with some reservations:
-Great CD by Andre Msane: http://www.incognito.com.lb/store/node/298
-Pretty good CD (though I would have preferred to hear qanoun and nay instead of buzuq and santur): http://www.incognito.com.lb/store/node/514
Both are available through Rashid Sales.
Any opinions out there about Nidaa Abou-Mrad's Mîkhâ'îl Mashshâqa collection: http://www.incognito.com.lb/store/node/18 ? Also, do you think would it be cheaper to buy from Incognito at $11.00 and have shipped from Lebanon
to the USA or to buy from Rashid Sales in New York for $17.98? I would lean toward buying from Rashid, but like the idea of buying direct from the
publisher...
All the best,
John
suz_i_dil - 1-28-2009 at 11:01 AM
Hello,
I was talking of this CD in my thread about Mustafa Said in the CD forum section.
This CD is an illustration of many different maqam, melodies describe in the work of Mikhail Mashaqa, with short takasim also.
This is play by an ensemble. I enjoyed a lot this CD, and it enlarged my general culture around maqamat.
ALAMI - 1-28-2009 at 01:27 PM
Some additional infos on this CD and an extract on this thread :
http://www.arabicouds.com/messageboard/viewthread.php?tid=7795