Tara Kamangar - East of Melancholy (2014) [Hi-Res]

Tracklist
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01. A Farewell to St. Petersburg: No. 10, The Lark (Arr. M. Balakirev)
02. Prelude No. 1, "Homage to Omar Khayyam"
03. Spartacus: Adagio (Arr. M. Cameron)
04. Caravan (Arr. D. Hakimova)
05. 24 Preludes, Op. 34: No. 10 in C-Sharp Minor
06. 24 Preludes, Op. 34: No. 12, In G-Sharp Minor
07. Persian Miniatures, Op. 25: No. 1, Solitude (Arr. T. Kamangar)
08. Persian Miniatures, Op. 25: No. 2, Call of the Desert (Arr. T. Kamangar)
09. Persian Miniatures, Op. 25: No. 3, Call of Remembrance (Arr. T. Kamangar)
10. Persian Miniatures, Op. 25: No. 4, Invitation to the Spell (Arr. T. Kamangar)
11. 13 Preludes, Op. 32: No. 12 in G-Sharp Minor
12. Mosaics Suite, Op. 19, I. Scenes from Summer
13. Mosaics Suite, Op. 19: II. Sérénade Tartare
14. Etude, "East of Melancholy"
15. Fantastic Dances, Op. 2: No. 1, Festive Dance
16. Fantastic Dances, Op. 2: No. 2, Lyrical Dance
17. Fantastic Dances, Op. 2: No. 3, Dance of Elegy
18. Fantastic Dances, Op. 2: No. 4, Dance of Ecstasy

Russia’s centuries-old geographic proximity to Muslim regions – historically regarded as part of the “orient” – has resulted in considerable cultural and artistic cross-fertilization, particularly in the realm of music. Most Russian composers during (and since) the Romantic era have thus incorporated elements of what one could call “oriental exoticism” into their compositions. Captivating pianist Tara Kamangar – an American of Iranian descent – has made it her musical mission to explore such musical connections, specifically as they apply to the traditions of Iran and Russia. In this, Tara’s first album for Delos, we hear illustrative examples in works by Glinka, Rachmaninoff, Shostakovich and Khachaturian.

But her emphasis here is on the music of two fascinating 20th-Century Iranian composers whose work remains virtually unknown in the West: Aminollah Hossein and Loris Tjeknavorian.

Tara’s virtuosity and flair for the musical traditions of her Iranian forbears combine to bring these works to thrilling and idiomatically true life.

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