Hespèrion XXI: Istanbul
By David Honigmann

FT
January 16 2010 00:13

Hespèrion XXI
Istanbul
Alia Vox

A few centuries later, Dimitrie Cantemir could have been a world music
pioneer. As it was, born in 1673, he had to settle for being Prince of
Moldavia. But while in Istanbul, as diplomat-cum-hostage, he learned
and composed for the tanbur, the long-necked Islamic lute.

His music, mingled with Sephardic songs collected by Isaac Levy and
heartbroken Armenian duduk, is the centrepiece of a new album by the
tireless Jordi Savall and Hespèrion XXI. Like their previous
celebration of Jerusalem, it revels in the meeting of the Abrahamic
faiths.