Hespèrion XXI/Savall: La Sublime Porte: Voix d’Istanbul – review(Alia Vox)

Nicholas Kenyon
The Observer,
Sunday 4 December 2011

In Istanbul you can take a short ferry from Europe to Asia: the city’s
unique melting pot is in the inspiration behind Jordi Savall’s latest
(and beautifully presented) exploration of past ages. A narrative of
the city from 1430 to 1750 traces the interaction of Ottoman music
with Greek, Sephardic and Armenian elements, allowing some religious
freedom and ensuring great cultural diversity. Savall assembles
musicians from eight countries: Gursoy Dincer and Lior Elmaleh mix
eloquent Israeli and Turkish chanting traditions, while some tracks
become a memorial to Savall’s wife, the great early-music singer
Montserrat Figueras, who died just last month.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress