Customer Reviews

The Music of Islam, Volume 14: Mystic Music Through the Ages

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This collection of Sufi music is superb; as the liner notes explain, Turkish music reflects the history of its relationship with Central Asia, and also the influence of Persian classical form with its elegance and purity, a combination which perhaps to the Western ear might sound extremely foreign.
I find this fourteenth CD of the magnificent "Music of Islam" series to be soul-stirring and uplifting. If you enjoy this type of music, it is an ideal recording to minimize the din and sensory overload of the 21st century world.

These mystic Sufi hymns are sung with much beauty and piety, and with the backing of classical art music instruments, which are: The nay (oblique flute), with its whispery sound, the tanbur (a long-necked lute), the qanun (a type of zither), the kamanche (fiddle), and kundum (drums).

Some of the songs use the poetry of the great Rumi, and others chant the holy names of God; of my very favorites, track 8 is a liturgical piece by Rumi used to begin religious celebrations, and the final track is a recitation that is a fitting ending for this exquisite CD. To quote the liner notes: "The concluding prayer is chanted in a way that blurs the distinction between speech and song", and it is from the Qur'an: "East or West, it all belongs to God; wherever you turn God is there".

The musicians are from the Galata Mevlevi Music and Sema Ensemble who are based in Turkey, where this recording was made.
The presentation on all 16 CDs (including the sampler) of this Celestial Harmonies series is exceptional. This one has a 48 page booklet with extensive history, detailed explanation of each musical piece, recording info, and more. Total time is 63'56.

The songs on this recording are among the finest of the genre. Sadly, most Turks today would be incapable of understanding the deeply moving lyrics, so many changes have been forced on the Turkish language and society in the past 75 years.

While I found a certain "wooden" feeling to the performance, I also appreciate that a major problem the artist constantly faces is the preservation of a cultural artifact from the past. How could an artist "lighten" (or worse, "modernize") the performance without violating the art-form's integrity?

Several tracks moved my Turkish friends and me deeply.