Jerusalem24 – Yara Alnazer- “The audience was very happy with this mix and never expected that Palestinians can do a baroque music show. They like it because for them it is very [tangible].”
Maestro Maestro Jebrini, clarinetist and orchestra conductor at Al-Kamandjati Association, told Jerusalem24, about the association’s “Baroque Music” tour that kicked off on 17 December and ran until 23 December, in Jerusalem, Zababda, Ramallah, and Birzeit, in the occupied West Bank.
Maestro Jebrini who joined Al-Kamandjati in 2013, added that the tour presented music and songs composed and written in the ancient Baroque Epoch, and the orchestra played and sing pieces by the most famous composers from that Era, such as Vivaldi, Bach, and Telemann, and many more.
Baroque Music refers to the period or the dominant style of Western classical music composed during the 17th and 18th Centuries.
Baroque Music in Palestine
Part of the reason Maestro Montaser chose the Baroque Epoch is for its similarities with Arabic music and Arabic instruments, such as the Lute, which is similar to the Arabic Oud.
“During that era, they used the same minor scale that we use in Arabic music like the Maqam, it sounds the same.”
The tour highlighted the beauty of the Oud and how it can be hybridized and used in classical compositions, according to Maestro Montaser.
“The lute, which has similar strings to oud, and it sounds very beautiful, because the oud sounds very deep and very lovely, I wanted to show it.”
Maestro Montaser wanted to expose the Palestinian society to this kind of music and “show these songs and compositions which were written in an ancient era, and to share it with all Palestinians in all cities in Palestine.”
The orchestra is composed of Rahaf Khader and Nadeem Fares on the clarinet, Sarah Masri and Chritina Anastas on the trombone, Maya Atari, Romane Fleury, Fadi Basha, Sari Bshara, Layth Hanbaly, and Kareem Barakat on the violin. Ibrahim Massri on the viola, Rashed Zarour on the cello, Iyad Stiti on the oud and finally, Yara Qawariq as the vocalist and singer.
Working on something big!
Maestro Muntaser told Jerusalem24 that he is working on a big orchestra which he would like to tour with abroad, and show the world that “Palestinians can conduct this kind of music.”
Listen to the full interview on Vibes.
https://soundcloud.com/24fmpalestine/vibes-21-12-22
