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"Suleyman
The Magnificent" (Soundtrack)
This
soundtrack to a film directed by Suzanne Bauman, was a joint venture
sponsored by the Metropolitan Museum Of Art, the National Gallery
in Washington DC, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Republic
of Turkey to bring to the western world the art of the Ottoman
Empire. This soundtrack also was the gateway to many subsequent
projects, both for Brian Keane as a producer and for Faruk Tekbilek
as a recording artist. When Brian was first asked to score this
film, he turned to acclaimed record producer Arif Mardin (who
originally came from Turkey, and whom Brian had done some session
work for as a guitarist). At first, Arif didn't have any suggestions
for musicians in this country, but later called back with a tip
that his cooks went to a belly dancing club in the Hell's Kitchen
area of New York called Fazil's. After several nights of listening
to belly dance music (purely business, you understand), Brian
heard Faruk Tekbilek, a Turkish/Egyptian multi-instrumentalist,
play. Brian brought him to the studio and had him overdub a melody
on a synthesizer bed for the film, a sound, at that point in time,
that had never been done before. The magic was immediate and overwhelming.
The very first take is the opening to the film "Suleyman the Magnificent",
and eventually became the opening of the soundtrack CD as well.
When the film aired on national television, it was watched, by
chance, by record company executive Eckart Rahn and his wife,
Ruby. Contacting the Metropolitan Museum, they made arrangements
to put out the soundtrack on Eckart's label, Celestial Harmonies.
The soundtrack went on to critical success, actually influencing
the following year's soundtrack to "The Last Temptation Of Christ"
(written by Peter Gabriel) and becoming the Echoes "Record Of
The Year". The success of the soundtrack spawned the career of
Faruk Tekbilek, who went on to record five more records with Brian
on the Celestial Harmonies label before moving to the Hearts Of
Space label. Brian went on to produce fourteen critically acclaimed
CDs for Celestial Harmonies, which became a critical stepping
stone to other record company relationships.
Track
List:
1.
Prelude In Rast Mode
2. The Story Of Suleyman
3. Prelude In Segah Mode
4. Scenes Of Istanbul
5. Seven Spheres Of Heaven
6. Modal Fantasy
7. Northern Village
8. Prelude In Hicaz Mode
9. Goat Jumper
10. Aegean Sailor
11. Whirling Dervishes
12. Improvisation In Hicaz Mode
13. Gates Of Heaven
14. Garden At Topkapi
15. Saint Sophia
16. Scenes Of Istanbul (Reprise)
17. Piece In 10/8
Release
Date: September 26, 1990
Label: Celestial Harmonies
Reviews:
Amazon.com:
"World music with added synths. This was the soundtrack to an
American TV documentary on the life of Sultan Suleyman who ruled
the Ottoman Empire from 1520 to 1566. Some of the melodies are
traditional, some specially composed, but all are played by notable
Turkish virtuosi on instruments whose names mean rather less than
the gorgeous sounds they produce when plucked, blown or walloped
rhythmically. A music rich in its diversity of moods, tempos,
rhythms and emotions, with synths added subtly by producer/composer
Brian Keane, for atmosphere and orchestral timbre rather than
melody. An unalloyed delight." --Johnny Black -- © Emap Consumer
Magazines Limited. For personal use only.
The Tucson Citizen: "Embodying the historic sense of greatness
and splendor... The artist: Brian Keane demonstrates excellence
in a variety of musical endeavors. A virtuoso guitarist, he performs
and records as a solo artist as well as with other musicians.
Keane has three duo albums with Larry Coryell and has worked with
Paco de Lucia, Michal Urbaniak, The Brubecks, Bobby McFerrin,
and Jeff Berlin - to name a few. He has appeared at most of the
major jazz festivals and has toured extensively throughout the
world. Keane is at home on both sides of the recording process.
He has produced several records and film scores including the
soundtrack for the Academy Award nominated film, A Cuban Odyssey.
An accomplished composer and arranger, he has collaborated with
other talented writers and composed soundtracks for several award-winning
films. These credits include the PBS film Cuba in the Shadow of
Doubt (Golden Hugo and Chicago Film Festival Awards), and Women
of Summer (American Film Festival, Ohio State Film Festival, and
American Women in Radio & TV Awards). The project: SÜLEYMAN THE
MAGNIFICENT is the soundtrack for the film of the same name which
focuses on the life of the great Sultan of the Ottoman empire.
Sultan Süleyman reigned from 1520-1566 and was renowned as a consummate
reformer of law and administration. His was a golden age of art
and architecture. Brian Keane's soundtrack embodies this historic
sense of greatness and splendor. The music is at once exciting
and profound. Keane has brilliantly scored traditional Turkish
melodies and his own original melodies from a combination of authentic
Turkish instruments. These instruments include the tanbur (long
necked lute), daire (drum), kanun (plucked boxed zither), and
kaval (rim-blown flute—a pastoral instrument associated with shepherds
and nomads). The film aired on the PBS network and was a winner
of the American Film Festival and the Ohio State Film Festival
awards. It was produced in conjunction with the opening of an
art exhibit at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
for which major funding for the film was provided by the Republic
of Turkey.
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