• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Spellbinding Music

Genre-bending & spine-tingling

  • Home
  • About
  • Books
  • Contact

Anouar Brahem: Souvenance

March 18, 2015 By guillaume

Since the late 1980s and through an impeccable discography with the Munich-based ECM Record Label, Tunisian oud master Anouar Brahem has been flirting with jazz improvisation, fusion, modern classical or chamber music while recording solo, with small trio or quartet formations. Traditionally an accompanying instrument, the Arabic lute takes centre stage in the hands of Anouar Brahem. Primarily influenced by image and cinema, many of his early albums include music that was originally composed for films.

A film already has a musical meaning before the composer arrives. When he does, it is important for him to listen to the music of the image, to perceive and capture the film’s musical meaning. This musical meaning is to some extend the music of the film […] The way the camera moves, fixed or fluid, slow or fast, nervous or measured, leading or following the subject, also resembles the movement of a piece of music. Anouar Brahem – Horizons Touched – The Music of ECM (2007)

Anouar Brahem - Souvenance (2015)
Anouar Brahem – Souvenance (2015)

This approach has always dominated Brahem’s music and often translates into long meandering meditations and solo variations on the oriental scales, subtle impressionistic pieces arranged for piano and accordion or beautiful conversations with a double/electric bass, a bass clarinet…or with silence.

The political upheaval which rocked Tunisia in late 2010/early 2011 and plunged the country into a period of uncertainty also disrupted the musician’s creative process and approach to composition. “I don’t claim a direct link between my compositions and the events taking place in Tunisia,” says Anouar, “but I have been deeply affected by them.”

Six years after publishing his previous album The Astounding Eyes of Rita (2009), the musician released Souvenance (“Remembering”) in January 2015 on the ECM record label.

Following a prolonged period of silence, Anouar Brahem has a lot to say and catches up over a double CD of 11 new tracks. Reuniting with long-time collaborator François Couturier on piano as well as with Klaus Gesing (bass clarinet & soprano saxophone) and Björn Meyer (bass) from the “Rita” sessions, the musician also pitches his oud against the strings of Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana for the first time.

All of this work was new discovery; my musical studies had been devoted to our traditional music only. So I had no compositional role models in mind. And obviously I wasn’t drawn to the power and volume that an orchestra can supply. For me, it’s most exciting to improvise against the strings when they are very piano – the detail in the sound and texture, the delicacy and the chamber music quality of it, can be very touching.” Anouar Brahem – ECM Records

For the first time also, Souvenance doesn’t feature any solo improvisation as every track is precisely scripted around a few recurring themes outlined on the piano, oud and clarinet. As hinted by the black and white still photograph on the cover, this new approach only serves to emphasise the cinematic element of Brahem’s music whose visual cues perhaps stem from live news channels this time. The opening track “Improbable day” probably epitomises best the mood of the entire recording: 12 minutes of “immense fear, joys and hopes” meticulously scored to reflect the unscripted events of the 2011 Tunisian Arab spring.

http://www.anouarbrahem.com/

You May Also Like:

  • Anouar Brahem: Le Pas du Chat Noir
    Anouar Brahem: Le Pas du Chat Noir
  • Anouar Brahem: Blue Maqams
    Anouar Brahem: Blue Maqams
  • Jean-Louis Matinier & Marco Ambrosini: Inventio
    Jean-Louis Matinier & Marco Ambrosini: Inventio
  • Mohamed Abozekry & Heejaz Extended: Ring Road
    Mohamed Abozekry & Heejaz Extended: Ring Road
  • An Tara: Faha Rain
    An Tara: Faha Rain
  • Trio Da Kali and Kronos Quartet: Ladilikan
    Trio Da Kali and Kronos Quartet: Ladilikan

Filed Under: Modern Classical Tagged With: Anouar Brahem, oud

Subscribe to Spellbinding Music

Never miss a post and subscribe to Spellbinding Music via email. Receive weekly and enchanting musical updates straight into your inbox - and it's free!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Polly Knowles says

    March 26, 2015 at 11:25 am

    Wonderful fusion of sound…
    Light,beautiful,and uplifting,a truly lovely piece.
    I have always loved strings,they make music etheral,almost,why I do not know,but to me,this
    is what they do… A simple piano string section,and a bass clarinet.. how lovely indeed.

    Beautiful thank you so much..

    Reply
    • guillaume says

      March 26, 2015 at 3:41 pm

      Yes absolutely Polly – The strings add a wonderful new dimension to the music of Anouar Brahem and I believe he spent a long time working on this.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

About

Spellbinding Music is a blog which curates contemporary, modern classical, roots, electronic, jazz and folk music…and everything in between. ... [Continue Reading]

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Most Read this week

Follow via Email

Search

Recent Posts

William Susman – A Quiet Madness (2021)

William Susman: Collision Point/A Quiet Madness

Matthew Halsall - Salute to the Sun (2020)

Matthew Halsall: Salute to the Sun

A.G: Lonea (2020)

A.G: Lonea

Saffronkeira with Paolo Fresu: In Origine: The Field of Repentance (2020)

Saffronkeira with Paolo Fresu: In Origine: The Field of Repentance

Paolo Fresu & Daniele Di Bonaventura - Altissima Luce (2019)

Paolo Fresu & Daniele Di Bonaventura: Altissima Luce

Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin & Ultan O’Brien - Solas an Lae (2020)

Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin & Ultan O’Brien: Solas an Lae

From the Archives

Vanessa Wagner: Inland

Nadah El Shazly - Ahwar (2017)

Nadah El Shazly: Ahwar

Brigid Mae Power - Head Above the Water (2020)

Brigid Mae Power: Head Above The Water

Jherek Bischoff - Cistern (2016)

Jherek Bischoff: Cistern

Sly & Robbie meet Nils Petter Molvær - Nordub (2018)

Sly & Robbie meet Nils Petter Molvær: Nordub

Anna Mieke - Idle-Mind (2019)

Anna Mieke: Idle Mind

Slow Moving Clouds - Starfall (2018)

Slow Moving Clouds: Starfall

Footer

  • Home
  • About
  • Books
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2021 Spellbinding Music | Website by Pagecrafted

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies.Accept Reject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

SAVE & ACCEPT