Search - Constantinople, Tabassian :: Music of the Middle Ages

Wonderful hybrid of Iranian and renaissance European music

Richard K. Woodward | Edinburgh, Scotland | 07/27/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have heard some pure Iranian music that I like (including music recorded by the Tabassian brothers Kiya and Ziya), but I can't say that it is among my favorites. Similarly, I do enjoy some renaissance instrumental music, but I generally prefer the vocal music of that era. In this recording, the two traditions and cultures have met in such a way that they cross-fertilize each other to create one of the most exciting recordings I've heard in many years. This is a stunning piece of work which I think any serious music lover should own and treasure.

Some other very interesting examples of Iranian musical collaborations with representatives of other musical traditions that I can recommend are the Indo-Iranian hybrid music of Ghazal (Moon Rise Over the Silk Road The Rain) and the Iranian-Armenian collaboration found on Endless Vision. And another wonderful example of cross-fertilization is The Passion of Rumi; although all the musicians are Iranian, Hafez Nazeri has studied western composition with good effect, enriching the approach to Iranian traditional music offered here."