Constantinople (CANADA)

Bach and Khayyam The ever-popular, ground-breaking ensemble Constantinople examines two great musical geniuses, presenting arrangements of some of the most beautiful spiritual songs and arias of JS Bach in dialogue with poems of Omar Khayyam sung in Persian. Separated by time and space, the two geniuses of Johann Sebastian Bach and Persian mathematician-poet Omar Khayyam were nonetheless among similar heights of greatness. Ensemble Constantinople and soprano Hana Blažiková bring these two visionaries together in dialogue, intertwining arias by Bach with the contemplative and expressive poetry of Khayyam. Inspired by the ancient city illuminating the East and West, Constantinople was founded in 2001 in Montreal by its artistic director, Kiya Tabassian. The ensemble has 23 albums to its credit on labels Analekta, Atma, World Village, Buda Musique, Ma Case, Dreyer Gaido and Glossa. Over the course of the decade, Constantinople has created 60 works and travelled to more than 290 cities in 57 countries. “. . . thoughtful, shimmering with a thousand colours, sensual and passionate.” – Dr. Matthias Lang, from Magazin.klassik.com