Classical Arabic music of modal tradition finds one of its most refined expressions in three essential instruments: the nay, a reed flute with a veiled and meditative timbre; the qanun, a plucked zither of crystalline resonance that envelops melodic ornamentation; and the oud, a warm and deep-sounding lute that constitutes the fundamental voice of this music.
Brought together in a program structured in four parts—three solo performances and a final trio movement—the three instruments revolve around the art of taqsim, the modal improvisation that beats at the heart of this tradition: based on the internal logic of each maqam, the performer unfolds a free, ornamented, and deeply expressive discourse. The journey culminates with a Maqam Waslah in Segah, a suite that intertwines composition and improvisation based on works by Kemani Khedr Agha and Mustafa Said, set to a text by the poet and mystic Abu Mansour Al-Hallaj.
This concert, part of the Chair of Arabic Studies in collaboration with the Qatar Foundation, aims to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and the learning of Arabic music and culture, as well as to build new bridges between diverse societies while respecting the historical characteristics of each.
Performers
- Ibrahim Kadar, nay
- Taoufik Mirkhan, qanun
- Mustafa Said, oud and vocals