Jordi Savall & Hespèrion XXI－"The traveller of time", Taipei Concert on 2016/11/1

Time: 2016/11/1
Venue: National Concert Hall, Taipei
Performers: Jordi Savall & Hespèrion XXI (約第．沙瓦爾與晚星二十一古樂團)
琵琶（PIPA）：俞玲玲
古箏（ZHENG）：劉欣
晚星二十一古樂團
奈伊橫笛（NEY）：莫斯林．拉赫爾（MOSLEM RAHAL）
亞美尼亞雙簧管、木笛（DUDUK & BELUL）：海伊格．薩利克悠姆先（HAÏG ARIKOUYOUMDJIAN）
瑞巴布琴、薩羅德琴（REBAB & SAROD）: 達烏德．薩德萊伊（DAUD SADOZAI）
桑圖爾琴（SANTUR）：德米特里．桑尼斯（ DIMITRI PSONIS）
卡龍琴（KANUN）：哈坎．岡格什（HAKAN GÜNGÖR）
烏德琴（OUD）：約德爾．托肯（YURDAL TOKCAN）
打擊（PERCUSSION）：大衛．麥悠爾（DAVID MAYORAL）
中世紀維列、雷貝克古提琴、瑞巴布琴與音樂總監（VIELLE, REBEC, REBAB & DIRECTION）：約第．沙瓦爾（JORDI SAVALL）

Program: lbn Battuta “The traveller of time: Part II, 1333 – 1392” (漫步的心音朝聖者)

Year	Event (歷史紀事)	Music (演出音樂)
1333	The take of possession of the last Mongolian emperor in China drove to an extended civil war	‘Flowers and Moon over Spring River (Chunjiang huayueye)', pipa and zheng
	蒙古帝國末代皇帝遭逢內亂奪權	《春江花月夜》，琵琶與古箏合奏
1334	Ibn Battuta in Constantinople	Byzantine dance: Erotókritos (compare)
	伊本・巴圖塔在君士坦丁堡	拜占庭舞曲
1335	in Kabul	‘Laïli Djân', Persian song and dance
	在喀布爾	《親愛的剌伊里》，波斯歌舞曲
1336	Ibn Battuta in India	Raga Muddugare Yashoda
	伊本・巴圖塔在印度	印度古典拉格
1337	Beginning of the 100 Years'War	La Quarte Estampie Royal
	英法百年戰爭	中世紀艾斯坦碧舞曲
1340	Ottoman expansion in Balkan	Muhayyer Peşrev, Ottoman march
	奧斯曼帝國進佔巴爾幹半島	土耳其古典木卡姆，奧斯曼進行曲
1345	Trip to the South of Asia and in China	‘Rainy Night on Banana Panel (Jiaochuang yeyu)', zheng
	南亞與中國之旅	《蕉窗夜雨》，古箏演奏
1346	The big return to Morocco	Dance of the soul, Nastaran (at 51:30, ney and instr.)
	重返摩洛哥	靈魂之舞，奈伊橫笛演奏
1348	The Black plague in Europe	Lamento di Tristano
	黑死病席捲歐洲	崔斯坦的輓歌
1349	First Chinese settlement in Singapore. Beginning of the Chinese colonisation of the southwest Asia	‘Dance of Yi people (Yizu wuqu)', pipa
	首批華人定居新加坡，為華人移民亞洲西南之濫觴	《彝族舞曲》，琵琶演奏
1349	Boccaccio writes “The Decameron”	Istampitta: Saltarello
	薄伽丘創作《十日談》	義大利薩爾塔列洛舞曲
1350	Ibn Battuta visits Granada in Al-Andalus	Muwashah Ya man Laibd Bihi Chamoulo
	伊本・巴圖塔遊歷盎達魯西亞的格拉納達	阿拉伯古典詩歌舞曲
1351	Uprising of White Lotus in North China	‘Stream and Mountain (Gaoshan liushui)', zheng
	白蓮教於中國北方起義	《高山流水》，古箏演奏
1352	Ibn Battuta crosses the Sahara	Kevokê, The Wind Dance (ney)
	伊本・巴圖塔穿越撒哈拉沙漠	科沃克，舞曲
1353	The Empire of Mali	‘Kouroukan Fouga' (instr.)
	馬利王國	《法典》，器樂
1354	Pierre III conquests Sardinia	La Manfredina (Trecento Mss.)
	皮埃爾三世征服義大利薩丁島	義大利舞曲 (十四世紀手稿)
1356	Zhu Yuanzhang revolts against the Mongolians	‘The Spring of the Mountain Tian Shan (Tianshan zhi chun)', pipa
	朱元璋起義推翻蒙古王朝	《天山之春》，琵琶演奏
1359	Murat I succeeds his father the sultan Ohrhan Gazi	Makām-ı Çargah Sirto
	穆拉特一世繼承蘇丹王位	土耳其古典木卡姆，奈伊橫笛演奏
1368	Yuan Mongols are evicted from Beijing and the Ming Dynasty is founded	‘The Song of the Border (Saishang qu)', pipa and zheng
	蒙古人被逐出北京、大明立國	《塞上曲》，琵琶與古箏合奏
1377	Death of Ibn Battuta	Arabic Lament (duduk, ney) (compare at 7:00)
	伊本・巴圖塔辭世	阿拉伯輓歌，亞美尼亞雙簧管與奈伊橫笛演奏
1392	End of Mongolian domination on China	‘Walking on the Street (Xing jie sihe)', zheng, Ancient music from south-east China, Celebrating and wished harmony of nature and human
	蒙古帝國衰敗結束中國境內統治	《行街》，合奏，中國江南絲竹音樂，慶賀與祈願人與自然之和諧共存
1400	Beginning of the Renaissance in Italy	Song & dance: Hermosa muchachica (improvisations)
	義大利文藝復興運動開始	《美麗的小女孩》，歌舞曲

Thoughts:
This program centered on the second part of the remarkable traveler lbn Battuta's travelogue, from North Africa, Middle East and Persia, to Asian Minor, Constantinople and Russian Steppes, to India and China. In a sense, what was presented was an impressionistic musical journey of selected items in Battuta's travelogue.

The music style was varied, reflecting the diversity of regions in the travelogue. One sees many regional instruments, as can be found in the  official program notes. The music were all based on monophonic music in different tonal systems, although the lack of chordal sonics did not stop the performers for displaying superlative musicianship. Each member of the ensemble was given at least one occasion to showcase her/his virtuosity.

For encores, Savall and his ensemble played an instrumental version of Ave Maria based on an old Chinese melody, and a "concerto grosso" (for lack of a better term), or ritornello, based upon Turkish dance music (with soli sandwiched between tutti ritornello).

P.S. A friend (N.K., who is more an expert on this repertoire than I) complained about the use of microphone. Personally I thought that was inevitable due to the choice of instruments. The huge discrepancy of the volumes produced by these instruments will render some of them completely inaudible when played together without amplification. Fortunately, the amplification was expertly done, and did not interfere with much of my listening.