CONSTANTINOPLE – Dimitrie Cantemir (1673-1723), the composer prince

Ensemble Constantinople performs the music of Dimitrie Cantemir (1673-1723), a Moldavian prince, scholar, composer, and diplomat. A fascinating historical figure, Cantemir’s compositions are considered part of the Ottoman music repertoire. More influential though are the over 350 instrumental works that he preserved in his book, Edvar-i Musiki, using his own innovative notation system, which remains as one of the most important collections of 16th and 17th century Ottoman and Middle Eastern music.

L’ensemble Constantinople interprète la musique de Dimitrie Cantemir (1673-1723), prince, savant, compositeur et diplomate moldave. Si les compositions de ce personnage historique fascinant occupent une place à part entière au sein du répertoire de la musique ottomane, son influence est d’autant plus grande qu’il a aussi répertorié plus de 350 œuvres instrumentales dans son ouvrage Edvar-i Musiki. C’est en utilisant son propre système de notation qu’il a offert au monde l’une des plus importantes sommes de musique ottomane et du Moyen-Orient des 16e et 17e siècles.

Dimitrie or Demetrius Cantemir was a Romanian prince, statesman, and man of letters, regarded as one of the most significant early Enlightenment figures. He twice served as voivode of Moldavia (March–April 1693 and 1710–1711). During his second term he allied his state with Russia in a war against Moldavia’s Ottoman overlords; Russia’s defeat forced Cantemir’s family into exile and the replacement of the native voivodes by Greek phanariots. Cantemir was also a prolific writer, variously a philosopher, historian, composer, musicologist, linguist, ethnographer, and geographer. His son Antioch, Russia’s ambassador to Great Britain and France and a friend of Montesquieu and Voltaire, would become known as “the father of Russian poetry”.

Dimitrie Cantemir, né le 26 septembre 1673 (ou le 5 novembre, ou encore le 26 octobre) à Silișteni ou à Iași en Moldavie, et est mort le 21 août 1723 dans son domaine de Cantemir en Russie à Dmitrovka (aujourd’hui Dmitrovsk) est un encyclopédiste, compositeur, écrivain et souverain moldave qui régna en Moldavie en 1693 et de 1710 à 1711. Fils du prince Constantin Cantemir, Dimitrie Cantemir se forme à la cour de Iassy où il apprend le grec, le latin et les langues slaves. Très tôt, il est remarqué pour sa mémoire encyclopédique.

Avec/with:

• Kiya Tabassian (setar & direction)

• Didem Başar (kanun)

• Patrick Graham (percussions)

• Hamin Honari (percussions)

• Kianoush Khalilian (ney)

• Tanya Laperrière (violon baroque & viola d’amore)

00:00 – Zenguleh pishrow, Dowr-e Kabir, Dimitrie Cantemir 4:37 – Kanun solo, Didem Basar 6:58 – Ushak Ashirani pishrow, Zarb-e Fatih, Dimitrie Cantemir

10:11 – Setar solo, Kiya Tabassian 11:22 – Bestinigar pishrow, Barafshan, Dimitrie Cantemir 17:29 – Muhayyer pishrow, Mohammes, Dimitrie Cantemir

20:56 – Ney solo, Kianoush Khalilian 22:41 – Buzurg pishrow, Darbeyn-e Jadid, Dimitrie Cantemir

27:09 – Mahour pishrow, Darbeyn, Dimitrie Cantemir

31:20 – Bousalik pishrow, Dowr-e Ravan, Dimitrie Cantemir 36:04 – viola d’amore solo (folias), Tanya Laperrière 37:04 – Gavesht samai, Samai-e Lang, Dimitrie Cantemir 41:00 – Percussion duo, Hamin Honari & Patrick Graham 44:54 – Bousalik Ashirani samai, Samai-e Lang, Dimitrie Cantemir

DIMITRIE CANTEMIR (1673 1723), le prince compositeur Constantinople, Kiya Tabassian, direction