With this Concerto Grosso, Firdevs explores the interplay between several soloist instruments that belong to different musical traditions (flute, piano, darbuka & bendir) within a string ensemble.

The 3rd Movement (Procession) dedicated to the artist's father as an elegy to his death. Presented in three sections it goes through moments of lament, introspection and acceptance.

Divided in three parts, the movement opens with a lamentful solo of the flute drifting on top of a pensive melodic-rhythmic ostinato that slowly gets denser. As this first part reaches its conclusion, the music gradually subsides, returning to a state of calm. The middle part is an intermezzo-like excerpt leading to the third movement. In here a delicate melody emerges on its own, played by the flute and persistently repeating itself as the surrounding texture gradually thickens and intensifies. Suddenly, there is an unanticipated halt, creating a moment of stillness before the music bursts forth with heightened intensity, resuming its previous intensity. As the part and the movement draw to a close, the melody slowly sheds the layers that accompany it, returning to its initial simplicity and innocence, allowing its essence to shine through in a pure and unadorned manner.

Soloists: Liesl Stevens (flute); Lea Petrasso (piano); and Hilde De Clercq (percussion).
Conductor: Juan Gabriel Rojas.

Track's illustration: 'Music on Hudson' by Lena Karpinsky

Concerto Grosso for flute, piano, percussion and strings - 3rd Movement

A beautiful melody from ‘Rumelia’, Southern Balkans, sung by a helpless young man asking to be rescued from a snake strangling him. Mother and father refuse to help him, as they don't want to lose an arm for him. However, his true love offers him help as losing her arm is nothing compared to losing him.

Arrangement for violin (Juan Gabriel Rojas), double bass (Miguel Menezes), piano & voice (Firdevs Eke).

Track's illustration: 'Oasis' by Lena Karpinsky.

Bir Sari Ilan('A Yellow Snake')

'Longas' are Turkish tunes that imitate Rumanian gypsy music and were very popular in 19th century Turkey. 'Nihavend Longa' was composed by Kemani Kevser Hanım, a female composer from the Ottoman palace that lived by the turn of the 20th century.

In this arrangement for violin (Juan Gabriel Rojas), double bass (Miguel Menezes) and piano (Firdevs Eke), the original straight 2/4 rhythm is transformed into a more laid back one with the introduction of the 3+3+2 rhythmic pattern present in different popular music traditions around the world. The piece culminates with the theme played in 'bulerias', a fast-paced and complex flamenco rhythm.

Track's illustration: Anonymous painting of Kemani Kevser Hanım.

Nihavend Longa

As many other of the artist's arrangements of Turkish traditional music, this piece exposes the melody enhanced with Western harmonies. After the original theme is presented, it then expands into an energetic instrumental section with improvisations and dialogues between the different instruments which finally leads to a recapitulation of the song's melody.

Arrangement for clarinet (Daniel Pastene), percussion (Hilde De Clercq), piano & voice (Firdevs Eke)of a Turkish traditional song from the Southern Balkans ('Rumelia').

Track's illustration: 'My Way' by Lena Karpinsky.

Yağmur Yağar Taş Üstüne ('It Rains on the Stone')

A Long Journey (2008) is a piece for bass and mixed ensemble with text based on an adaptation of ‘The Tibetan Book of The Dead’.

“The Tibetan text describes, and is intended to guide one through, the experiences that the consciousness has after death, in the bardo, the interval between death and the next rebirth”. 
					
The piece begins with the words of the monk clarifying to the soul, that is just leaving the body after physical death, its present state. Following this recitation, a single pitch played by the violin, that represents the Supreme Consciousness, originates with its pulsing other consciousnesses expressed by the rest of the instruments that begin to appear. Towards the end of the Introduction, all the instruments come together and establish a final chord that will be the reference point of the whole piece as a symbol of the Creation.

Album onbekend (27/06/2008 21:32:46)

A Long Journey - final section

Composer, pianist, and singer Firdevs Eke was born in Istanbul and grew up in Seville, Spain. Strongly influenced by the folkloric traditions of both these cultures, Firdevs developed a distinctive style based on her classical training and fascination for jazz. Firdevs is based in Norwich, UK

Nihavend Longa

Firdevs Eke

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