Empires
Latitude 37
ABC 4810483 - 0028948104833
Latitude 37 made a name for themselves with their self-titled debut CD (on ABC Classics 476 4525) , a flamboyant and exuberant approach to the music of 17th-century Italy and Spain. Empires continues to exploring that sound world, this time through the repertoire of 17th-century Germany. However, during the 17th century the borders of the Germanic Holy Roman Empire were being threatened by the mysterious and powerful Ottoman Empire, and it is from here that much of the disc draws its musical inspiration.
The music of the Holy Roman Empire presents repertoire of immense colour, gesture and raw emotional power, represented on this album in the music of Johann Christoph Bach (the nephew of J.S. Bach’s grandfather), Buxtehude, Biber and Gottfried Finger. Germany’s Lutheran religion put much value on the communicative powers of music, and the immense despair felt by the nation after thirty years of religious conflict was also expressed through its music.
Juxtaposed against this music from the Holy Roman Empire is an exploration of music from its borderlands with the Islamic Ottoman Empire. Borderland countries switched allegiances frequently and many cultures we know now as Eastern European were permanently spiced by the influence of the Turks. Nowhere is this more evident than in the fascinating musical sources from the regions of Croatia and Moldavia, to which Latitude 37 has turned for much of the music on Empires. Western keys intermingled with Middle Eastern modes, and Arabic rhythmic intricacies blended with European duple and triple metres, creating a new sound that portrays quite clearly how these musical traditions, rather than going to war against one another, sought inspiration from each other instead. Empires also includes music by Dimitrie Cantemir, the fascinating Moldavian prince who became a great scholar of Turkish classical music while living in Constantinople.
To demonstrate these colourful musical interactions, Latitude 37 has opted to surrender the Baroque theorbo and incorporate its Arabic predecessor, the oud. European bass drum and tambourine share the stage with Turkish percussion including the daf, riq and the ceramic dahola, all united by the common thread of violin, viola da gamba (an instrument that itself has Arabic origins) and harpsichord to create an album that is both vital and poignant.
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1Der mak?m-? 'Uzzâl u??le? Devr-i keb?r (Music in usules mode and devr-i kebir rhythm)02:50
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2Serba No. 103:10
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3Trio Sonata in D Minor, Op. 1 No. 6, BuxWV 257: I. Grave – Allegro02:17
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4Trio Sonata in D Minor, Op. 1 No. 6, BuxWV 257: II. Con discretione – Adagio02:51
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5Trio Sonata in D Minor, Op. 1 No. 6, BuxWV 257: III. Vivace – Adagio01:31
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6Trio Sonata in D Minor, Op. 1 No. 6, BuxWV 257: IV. Poco presto – Poco adagio – Presto – Lento02:30
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7Ach, daß ich Wassers g'nug hätte06:44
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8Daf Taksim01:28
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9Ostropetsul01:36
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10Serba No. 201:08
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11Pestrý Zborník: Intrada and Sarabande02:40
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12Pestrý Zborník: Preambulum01:54
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13Pestrý Zborník: Chorea Kozackÿ02:54
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14Viola da Gamba Sonata in D Minor: I. Allegro00:57
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15Viola da Gamba Sonata in D Minor: II. Adagio01:58
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16Viola da Gamba Sonata in D Minor: III. Allegro01:01
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17Viola da Gamba Sonata in D Minor: IV. Adagio – Allegro – Adagio02:49
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18Violin Sonata in C Minor, C. 143: I. Adagio01:30
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19Violin Sonata in C Minor, C. 143: III. Passacaglia05:37
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20Violin Sonata in C Minor, C. 143: III. Adagio01:55
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21Violin Sonata in C Minor, C. 143: IV. Gavotte02:24
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22Violin Sonata in C Minor C. 143: V. Adagio – Allegro03:18
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23Pestrý Zborník: Chorea Polonica01:09
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24Pestrý Zborník: Chorea ex A01:34
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25Pestrý Zborník: Aria01:18
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26Was betrübst du dich04:39
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27Harpsichord Taksim01:27
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28Zhok de Nunte03:41
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29Bulgarash de gyatse retche04:06
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30Oud Taksim01:37
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31Moldavian Rondo02:28
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