Pilgrimage / Musical Journey of Kryštof Harant to Jerusalem / circa 1600

Cappella Mariana and Constantinople – a musical bridge between distant worlds

The subject of different cultures mingling and of the search for a common language is more relevant in today’s globalised world than ever before. However, it has been present in various forms for centuries. An inspiring encounter of rather distant music worlds is the result of the collaboration of Cappella Mariana, focused particularly on Renaissance polyphony, and Constantinople, representing the music tradition of Islam. Their common project imaginarily copies the adventurous pilgrimage undertaken in 1598 by the nobleman and composer, Kryštof Harant, who gave a gripping account of it in his book Journey from Bohemia to the Holy Land, by Way of Venice and the Sea. Harant’s complete preserved oeuvre is combined with the music of the exotic lands of the Ottoman Empire, Syria, Palestine, Sinai and Persia, which completes the atmosphere of the places as Harant himself might have experienced it on his journey. The variety of the Middle East nationalities, contributed to by the presence of pilgrims, monks and wanderers, created a very rich mosaic of sounds. As a result, songs in seven languages can be heard on the recording. Harant’s polyphony is overlapped here with songs by well-known as well as anonymous 16th-century Middle-East music masters, using, for instance, texts by the famous Persian poet, Hafez. Listening to the music of a remote culture can be a surprising experience indicating its inner richness, level of education, emotionality, etc.

With an open mind, we may discover in these hitherto unknown realms a source of beauty and deep inspiration for ourselves.

Kryštof Harant (1564–1621) – Missa quinis vocibus, Qui confidunt in Domino, Maria Kron, Dies est laetitiae. Anonymous (16th cent.) – Tasbih-i Misri, Naqsh Dar Bazm-e Del, Dar Nazar Baziye Ma. Shishtari Murad (? –1688) – Chashm-e Mast, Huseyni Agir Semai. Kâsebâz-i Misri (16th cent.) – Pishref-i Misri & Sama’i. Seyyid Seyfullah (16th cent.) – Bu Ashk Bir Bahri Ummandir, Nihavend ilahi. Ali Ufki (1610–1675) – Mezmur 2 & 4. Gazi Giray Han (1554–1607) – Mâhur Peşrev, Edvar-i Musiki. Kiya Tabassian (1976) – Namaz-e Sham-e Ghariban. Paschal de l’Estocart (c. 1538 – after1587) – Psalm 4. Otce Buoha nebeského (Benešovský kancionál)

Cappella Mariana: Hana Blažíková, Barbora Kabátková – soprano, Vojtěch Semerád, Tomáš Lajtkep, Ondrej Holub – tenor, Jaromír Nosek – bass. Vojtěch Semerád – artistic director
Constantinople: Didem Başar – kanun, Patrick Graham – percussion, Neva Özgen –kemençe, Kiya Tabassian – setar and voice, artistic director