Arab-Andalucian music

Música Andalusí
Núba Al-Istihlál
Ibn Báya Ensemble - Omar Metioui & Eduardo Paniagua
Sony "Hispánica" 62262
Pneuma CDPN-250

Contents:

  1. Bugya
    Twisya Nos. 1 and 2 of the Núba
    Mízán Bsít: San'a, Qála Lí
  2. Mízán Qá'im wa-nisf
    Twisya
    San'a, Yá Wáhida L-'asri
    Laysa L'asá (instrumental)
  3. Twisya No. 3 of the Núba
    Insád de Tab' Al-Instihlál
    Mízán Bráyhí: San'a, Gaybatuk
  4. Mízán D-dary
    Twisya
    Brwála, Akáml l-bhá
  5. Mawwál Al-Istihlál
    Mízán Quddám: twisya
    San'a, 'Indamá Sadá
    Min Suhayba Barat
    Gasálun Samá
  6. Mawwál sobre Tab', Al-Hiyáz Al-Kabír
  7. Mawwál sobre Tab', Raml Al-Máya

Performers: Eduardo Paniagua (flutes), Luis Delgado (andalusí lute), Gloria Lergo (voice), Mohamed El Arabi Serghini (voice, viola, darbouka), Omar Metioui (oud, andalusí lute, viola, tar, voice)

Playing time: 57'

Production date: 1995

Excerpts:
[3.1] Pneuma PN-800 [CD] Puentes sobre el Mediterráneo: Dialogo musical de las culturas medievales del Mediterráneo
[5.3]-[5.5] Pneuma PN-370 La llamada de Al-Andalus - The Call of Al-Andalus: Obras maestras de la colección Al-Andalus de Pneuma

This is a prominent and engaging attempt to reconstruct the Andalusí-Magrebi music of the Arabic era in Spain. Of course, beyond its intrinsic musical merits, this is an illustrative repertory with interesting implications for the later Spanish & Provençal repertory.

Although any statements with respect to the "authenticity" of this program may be somewhat dubious, there is actually a huge volume of medieval literature on the subject, led by none other than Abú Bakr Ibn Yahya al-Sâyigh (Zaragoza 1070 - Fez 1138) or "Ibn Báya" of the present ensemble. Fortunately for any project of this sort, medieval Spain was one of the most literary socities around. Beyond the extensive theory, the andalusí lute of the period has been reconstructed from preserved carvings.

Naturally, the most similar music is the contemporary Núba (or "modal suite") music of Morocco. However, the present reconstruction offers some styles and techniques which seem more evocative of other musical approaches of the Islamic world, including that of contemporary Iran (considered by many to be the "least changed" over the years). What is most striking here is that there is no derivative character. The music proceeds in a unified way, with no creeping doubts. It is very confidently laid out, and although not as florid as most contemporary repertories, solidly expressive. In that sense, while any remarks on "authenticity" would be dubious, this reconstruction is believable as a real musical system.

Some other programs devoted to this music, or including substantial contributions from it:

Andalusische Musik aus Marokko
Moroccan Ensemble Fez - Hagg Abdelkarim Rais
Deutsche Harmonia Mundi "Editio Classica" 77241
Ondas do mar
El Canto de Amor en el Mediterraneo del siglo XIII
Ensemble Cantilena Antiqua - Stefano Albarello
Symphonia 98157
Iberian Garden, Vol. 1
Jewish, Christian and Muslim Music in Medieval Spain
Altramar
Dorian Discovery 80151
Magnificentia Iberica
Music of Medieval Spain
Florata - Tim Rayborn
AS&V Gaudeamus 144
La Música de Al-Andalus
La muwassaha
Al Turath Ensemble - Muhammad Hamadiyih
Almaviva 0123
Músicas de la España Mudéjar
Artes instrumentales en la Baja Edad Media
Grupo Cingo Siglos
Fonoruz 357
El espíritu de al-Ándalus
Rosa Zaragoza
Saga 10.924
Música Andalusí
Grupo Qurtuba & María Valverde
Saga 10.973
El sueño de Al-Zaqqâq
Luis Delgado et al.
Nube Negra NN 1.026
Convivencia
Medieval Music from Andalusia
Catherine Bott / David Miller / Abdul Salam Kheir / Stephen Henderson
Fred Music 1
Instruments du Maroc et d'al-Andalus
Catherine Homo-Lechner & Christian Rault
Centre Européen de Recherches pour l'interprétation des Musiques Médiévales (CERIMM)
ISBN: 2-905271-65-5 (Book & CD)

Related programs, either in the present series or by similar ensembles:

Musique Arabo-Andalouse
Atrium Musicae de Madrid - Gregorio Paniagua
Harmonia Mundi 90389
The Splendour of Al-Andalous
Arab-Andalusian music of the 12th to 15th centuries
Cálamus - Eduardo Paniagua
MA Records 026
Medieval Women's Songs
Música Arábigo-andaluza S. XIII-XIV / Cantigas de Martin Codax
Cálamus - Eduardo Paniagua
Pneuma 050
Luz de la Mediterrania
Ensemble Eduardo Paniagua / Ensemble Tre Fontane / El Arabi S. Mohammed
Alba Musica 0198
Obras Maestras del Canto Andalusí
Ibn Sabl de Sevilla 1212-1251
Omar Metioui
Sony "Hispánica" 60076
Laúd Andalusí
Omar Metioui
Sony "Hispánica" 60077
Tres Culturas
Eduardo Paniagua
Pneuma 100
Jardin de Al-Andalus
Eduardo Paniagua
Pneuma 120
Dhikr y Sama
Música Sufi Andalusí
Omar Metioui
Pneuma 130
Al Ala Al-Andalusiyya
Música Andalusí
Omar Metioui
Pneuma 150
Músíca Andalusí - Escuela de Rabat
Grabación Histórica
Orquesta de la Radio-Televisión de Marruecos - Maestro Muláy Ahmed Lúkílí
Pneuma 160
Alarifes Mudéjares
Música para la iglesia mudejar de San Martin de Cuellar
Eduardo Paniagua et al.
Pneuma 170
Músíca Andalusí - Escuela de Tetúan-Tánger
Grabación Histórica
Orquesta del Conservatorio de Tetuán - Maestro Mohammed ben Arbi Temsamani
Pneuma 180
Poemas de la Alhambra
Ibn Zamrak: 1333-1393
Eduardo Paniagua, El Arabí Serghini
Pneuma 230
La Bellezza Contemplada
Musica Andalusí de Laúd
Larbí Akrim / El Arabí Serghini
Pneuma 260
La Felicidad cumplida
Inscripciones árabes del Alcázar de Sevilla, siglos XI-XIV
El Arabí Serghini, Larbi Akrim, Jamal Eddine, Eduardo Panaguia
Pneuma 290
Jardines de Jazmín
Moaxaja Andalusí de Alepo - Wasla Sikah "Hozzam"
Al Turath Ensemble - Mohammed Hamadye
Pneuma 310
El Agua de la Alhambra
Música Andalusí: Ibn al-Jatib 1313-1375
Eduardo Paniagua, El Arabí Trio
Pneuma 320
Hermana de la Luna
Moaxaja Andalusí de Alepo - Wasla Rast
Al Turath Ensemble - Mohammed Hamadye
Pneuma 330
Ibn 'Arabi: El intérprete de los deseos
Ensemble Ibn Bàya / Cofradia Shushtari - Omar Metioui & Eduardo Panigua
Pneuma 360
La Fuente del Amor Secreto
El Laúd en la Música Andalusí-Magrebí
Omar Metioui et al.
Pneuma 430
Dos corazones
Núba Rasd Dhil
Salim Fergani et al.
Pneuma 440
Prado de Gacelas - Meadow of Gazelles - Prairie des Gazelles: Núba Sika
Maluf de Constantina - Música Andalusí de Argelia
Salim Fergani
Pneuma 460
Maqamat Zíryáb
Desde el Eúfrates al Guadalquivir - From Euphrates to the Guadalquivir
Naseer Shamma
Pneuma 480
Wallada (Córdoba 994-1077) & Ibn Zaydún (Córdoba 1003-1071)
Una historia de amor y poesia - A story of love and poetry
Eduardo Paniagua / El Arabi Sergheni Ensemble
Pneuma 500
Ritual Sufí-Andalusí
Al-Shushtarí (1212-1269)
Mohammed Mehdi Temsani - Omar Metioui
Pneuma 530
Aire de Al-Andalus
Eduardo Paniagua et al.
Pneuma 550
Cantoras de Tetuán
Cantos tradicionales de mujeres del Norte de Marruecos
Various performers
Pneuma 560
Maimónides
Edad de oro de Sefarad en Al-Andalus
Música Antigua, Sefarad - Eduardo Paniagua
Pneuma 580
Cantos Sufies de Al-Andalus
Ibn Báya Ensemble - Omar Metioui & Eduardo Paniagua
Sony "Música Andalusí" 89510
Núba Rasd d-Dayl
Ibn Báya Ensemble - Omar Metioui & Eduardo Paniagua
Sony "Música Andalusí" 89513
Abdelsadaq Cheqara: Melodias de una Vida
Música Marroqui Andalusí
Pneuma 620
Núba al-Máya
Ensemble Ibn Báya
Pneuma "Música Andalusí" 630
Muezzin
Various
Pneuma 750
Hilal - Arab Chamber Music
Modern Renaissance of Cultured Arab Music
Shamma Naseer
Pneuma 760
Rumi & Ibn Arabí
Oriente a Occidente Siglo XIII – Recitado, canto y múca sufí
Grian, Eduardo Paniagua
Pneuma 770
Between Heaven & Earth
Baylar
Pneuma 830
El Manantial de tus ojos
Musica Andalusi
Silsila H`Sine, Salim Fergani
Pneuma 850
Elegy On The Death of Salah Bey
Salim Fergani
Pneuma 870
La Noria de Los Modos
Musica Andalusi, Maluf de Constantina, Angelia
Salim Fergani
Pneuma 890
El Amante Abandonado
Salim Fergani
Pneuma 920
Mio Cid
Música Mediaval para Teatro sobre Mio Cid
Eduardo Paniagua
Pneuma 930
Basharf Kabir
Andalusi Music
Salim Fergani
Pneuma 940
Cantos Misticos Devocionales de Al-Andalus
Various performers
Pneuma 970
Alxivil Aljamía
Perfume mudéjar
Cori el cantaor Pedro Sanz - Sánchez Mascuñano
Pneuma 1020
Ibn Gabirol: Caballero de la palabra
Eduardo Paniagua
Pneuma 1030
Cautivo de amor
Muwashshah de El-Andalus en Egipto
Música Antigua - Eduardo Paniagua
Pneuma 1040
Tesoros de Al-Andalus
Música clasica de los Reinos de Taifas siglos XI-XII
Música Antigua - Eduardo Paniagua
Pneuma 1110
Pasión Sufí
Eduardo Paniagua / Said Belcadi Ensemble
Pneuma 1120
Zambra de Moriscos
Música Antigua - Eduardo Paniagua
Pneuma 1140
La Rosa de la Alhambra
Cuentos de Washington Irving
Música de los Siglos XIV al XIX
Música Antigua - Eduardo Paniagua
Pneuma 1160
Los Hijos de Zyriab
10 Festival Internacíonal de Laúd de Tetuán
Various performers
Pneuma 1210
Canto Visigótico-mozárabe
Santiago y la Antigua Liturgica Hispania
Música Antigua - Eduardo Paniagua
Pneuma 1270
Maluf
El poder oculto de la Música Andalusí de Túnez
Eduardo Paniagua et al.
Pneuma 1290
Viaje Interior
Eduardo Paniagua / Said Belcadi
Pneuma 1390

A collection featuring many recordings involving Eduardo Paniagua or the Pneuma label:

La llamada de Al-Andalus
Obras maestras de la colección Al-Andalus de Pneuma
Eduardo Paniagua et al.
Pneuma 370

Moving farther afield, some other associated programs....

Les croisades sous le regard de l'Orient - The Crusades seen through the eyes of the Orient
Arab music and poetry from the time of the Crusades
Ensemble Al-Kindî - Julian Jalâl Eddine Weiss
Le Chant du Monde 5741118.19 [CDx2]
Metamorphosis
Music of the Ottoman Empire
Hristos Tsiamulis / Dimitris Psonis / Pedro Estevan
Glossa "Nouvelle Vision" 921001

In this case, there are a wide variety of other recordings available, some of impeccable historical lineage. However, they begin to stray rather far from the focus of this site and will not generally be discussed. The Moroccan music in particular, as brought from Spain after the Islamic explusion, is very well-served on disc. There are also numerous examples of other Ottoman or Syraic musics, and all of these tie in at one point with the early history of Western music.

To purchasing information for this disc.

To FAQ references to this recording.

To FAQ CD index page.

Todd M. McComb