July 28, 2008 • World Village
I've always thought that middle eastern-styled classical music is incredibly interesting, and usually sounds amazing. But sadly it's yet another one of those genres I almost never really listen to. Helping me change that is Kayhan Kalhor's suite Silent City, a fascinating interpretation of Persian myth through minimalist chamber music.
One of the things I especially love about this album is its focus on minimalism (not coincidentally, another one of my favorite classical music styles); the ensembles here are small, no more five or six players, allowing for a very tight and focused performance that is also very subtle and intimate. Perhaps it's just because this kind of music is still very "foreign" to me, but I find it very evocative of the Persian culture from which it comes, very heavy with vibrant imagery. And for just four pieces they pack in a lot of diversity in that sound, from the complex, frantic style of "Ascending Bird" to the subdued, slow droning of the title track.
Speaking of which, that title track has to rank somewhere up there with my favorite classical pieces of all time. I guess it's just another example of me really enjoy that kind of soft super-dramatic melody style, like what's all over Arvo Pärt's music. I'm sure it's all too easy for some people to find it a bit dull, but I think it's captivating and evocative—especially the middle section, with these ebbing string lines over a dark, constant drone. And it's a half-hour long, too! And that half-hour is good all the way through. That doesn't happen often, even with Pärt.
But as usual I'm nowhere near an expert on this kind of stuff, so I'll just say that if the sound of minimalist Persian classical has remotely any appeal, this is definitely worth looking for. I just sort of wish there was an easier way to sift through all that middle eastern music I need to listen to...
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