Inspired by Luciano Berio’s Sequenze, this three-part solo work moves between Arab modal centers, explores multiphonics, and concludes with a lyrical Westernized transformation of its opening.
Recorded by: Jospeh Jordan (oboe)
Studio: Oktaven Audio, New York
Tasalsul III, or “sequence” in Arabic, takes its name from Luciano Berio’s Sequenze, and is divided into three parts. The first part presents a pendulum-like manifestation between the key areas of E-half sharp sikah and A bayati, two modes that are common in traditional Arab music. The second part introduces multiphonics in stepwise motion, mimicking the scalar tendencies of both Arab and Western modes. The last part is a lyrical “Westernization” of the introductory material, now firmly rooted in C minor, about halfway in between the modes that were introduced.
