After 1683, when Polish troops saved Vienna from a Turkish siege, Turkey was no longer a threat to Western Europe and became a symbol of the mysterious Orient. For European musicians, however, Turkey was less nebulous, as Turkish instruments (including drums, cymbals, and triangles) entered the European orchestra and composers emulated the sound of the Turkish military band. A charming introduction to eighteenth century musical Orientalism in Europe, this album features exquisite performances by
Concerto Köln and
Sarband, a traditional Turkish ensemble. The opening track, a scintillating rendition of the overture for
Mozart's Oriental opera Die Entfuhrung as dem Serail, features traditional Turkish percussion that adds zest to the performance. The album includes a number of traditional Turkish pieces that move outside a European (linear) dimension of time and finely blend intriguing melodic lines with a variety of rhythmic accompaniments. A remarkable solo instrument used in this music is the Turkish reed flute, whose extraordinary timbre suggestively expresses moods of melancholy, resignation, and wonderment. Juxtaposition of Turkish and Western interpretations of particular themes clearly shows the enormous difference between authentic Turkish music and Western musical variations on Turkish themes. Thus, for example, the listener can appreciate the distance between a traditional Song of the Dervishes and the Dervish March from Joseph Martin Kraus' opera Soliman II, in which a mysterious procession moves within an obvious Rococo context. An extremely interesting feature of this album is the inclusion of several works by German-Swedish composer Joseph Martin Kraus (1756-1792), active at the court of King Gustavus III of Sweden. Admired by his contemporaries, Kraus died soon after the king's assassination at a masked ball, an event that inspired
Verdi's opera. The final piece is a sparkling Sinfonia turchesca by Franz Xaver Süssmayr.