The theme of the Virée this year being the Mediterranean, it was almost normal that the group founded in 2001 by Kiya Tabassian was invited to participate. “It is a theme that is very dear to me as a musician, as a human, as a citizen,” confirms the great master of setar and Persian music, who is also composer and artistic director of the group.
The musician, born in Tehran in 1976 and who arrived in Montreal with his parents at the age of 14 in 1990, has no Turkish roots, he says. But for him, the former capital of the Ottoman Empire is a very strong symbol.
If we are called Constantinople, it is because the Mediterranean has symbolized since the dawn of time this crossroads between the civilizations and cultures that are around. This sea does not separate all these people, it connects them and builds a bridge between them.
Kiya Tabassian, artistic director of the Constantinople Ensemble
The meeting is the basis of the work of the Constantinople Ensemble, and of the concert entitled Saint-Saëns’ Egypt which will take place on August 17 at the Maison symphonique with the OSM conducted by Rafael Payare.
“It will be a kind of dialogue, a question and answer, between the orchestra and Constantinople, between the repertoire they will play and the pieces I have chosen.” In particular, works by Cantemir, a Moldavian composer who lived in Constantinople at the end of the 17th centurye century, which precisely made a “synthesis between the music of the European tradition and that of the Persian Ottoman tradition,” explains Kiya Tabassian.
“Also, each ensemble has its own color. The Symphony Orchestra has its own textures, and Constantinople, we arrive with very different instruments, in their timbre, their structure. This play of perspective between the two, the public will be able to hear it, as well as the nuances and the beauty that it brings.”
Montreal spirit
The Ensemble Constantinople is also part of the free Classical Spree program, and will give a one-hour concert outside on August 16, on the Tranquille esplanade, in the late afternoon. A proposal that delights Kiya Tabassian, who finds it important to play everywhere, whether in the most prestigious venues, in churches or in the street.
“There will be people who will be there for the concert, but also tourists, passers-by, all sorts of people who will be attracted by the music. What the OSM is doing is extraordinary: it is the goal of every musician to bring music back to the heart of the city.”
And to make known in particular this music, “which is different, but which has its place”. “You can do other things while listening to it, wander in your thoughts, but it takes you into the depths of your thought and your person. And this music, I think that society needs it more than ever.”
It will also be an opportunity for many people to see and hear less common instruments: in addition to the setar, the musicians of Constantinople play the kanun, the kemence, the tombak, the daf, the oud. That’s true, answers Kiya Tabassian. But he adds that Montreal is a cosmopolitan city and that for some people, these instruments simply remind us of their culture of origin.
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, THE PRESS
Kiya Tabassian
For me, this is where the dialogue lies. It goes both ways. There are people who will discover new instruments and music they have never heard, and others who will be deeply affected by it, because they have known these instruments since childhood.
Kiya Tabassian, artistic director of the Constantinople Ensemble
The Classical Spree, which comes after events like the Francos and the Jazz Festival, represents the city well, says Kiya Tabassian. “Culture beats in Montreal’s veins all year long. It’s constantly circulating.” Moreover, even though the Ensemble Constantinople travels all over the world with a repertoire from some thirty cultures, the orchestra is so rooted here that for the musician, his music is Montreal.
“Because the perspective is Montreal and it represents our way of life. The way our city works, this open-mindedness, this interest in others, this curiosity, this creativity. And all these elements are in Constantinople.”
The concert Passages — crossroads of the Mediterranean will be presented free of charge on August 16, on the Esplanade Tranquille, at 5:30 p.m. The concert Saint-Saëns’ Egypt will be presented on August 17 at 1:30 p.m. at the Maison symphonique, with the OSM conducted by Rafael Payare.
Check out the concert page Passages — crossroads of the Mediterranean
Check out the concert page Saint-Saëns’ Egypt