Two opuses by Wajdi Abou Diab, dedicated to this amazing beautiful instrument!

Opus 1

Taqassim suite for recorder family and harpsichord

Taqassim “تقاسيم” is a suite of 6 miniature pieces for the recorder family (and harpsichord) which may be played together or separately.

Each piece is written for an instrument and is based on an Arabic scale or/and rhythm. The pieces reflect the spirit of the Arabic folk tune and folk dance.

They are named by the names of these tunes.

The 6 pieces are:

1. موّال” من جنس صبا وايقاع دور هندي” (Mawwal) For alto recorder

2. موشّح” من جنس حجاز وإيقاع سماعي ثقيل” (Mouwashah) For bass recorder and harpsichord

3. دبكة” من جنس بياتي وإيقاع أقصاق” (Dabkeh) For soprano recorder and harpsichord

4. يا غزيّل” من جنس عجم” (Ya G’zayyel) For tenor recorder

5. زفّة” من إيقاع نيم أيون هواسي” (Zaffa) For great bass recorder mouthpiece

6. بلدي” من جنس راست وإيقاع بلدي” (Baladi) For sopranino recorder and harpsichord

this piece is dedicated to the international recorder player Farid Rahme.

The cover was designed by the artist Bachar Hijazi.

This Piece was published by the German publisher Ronald Brox (Edition tre-fontane), and recorded by Farid Rahme on recorder and Wajdi Abou Diab on harpsichord.

Opus 8

Wild Peazold – For Contrabass Recorder and Tape

After my friend Farid Rahme introduced me to this instrument, I borrowed it for one month to discover its capability and techniques, and start composing “Wild Peazold”.

Accompanied by a pre-recorded tape including orchestra, electronics, and many sound effects recorded by the composer, this piece should be played with amplification and using an effect pedal

Four Pieces from my composition list – that happened to be opus 1, 2, 3 and 4 – chosen for this album, inspired by the Arabic traditional music, melodies, rhythms, dances and folklore, and developed in a contemporary unique way, to reflect the contradictions, traditions, and conflicts of our societies.
Our world is full of contrast since forever: humanity inhumanity, silence sound, reality dreams, sedulity, and exploitation…
And we spend our entire lives searching for the balance between these contraries…
It’s time to stop searching, and to understand our unbalanced and asymmetrical nature, so we can feel the rhythm that governs the universe, and dance freely to it.

Musicians
Farid Rahme – Recorders (track 1 – 6)
Jinan Jaffall – flute (track 19 & 20)
Suhair Sawan – Vocal (track 13 & 14)
Tatiana Paviliko – Piano (track 13 & 14)
Zeinab Mawassy – Lyrics (track 14)
Wajdi Abou Diab – Piano/ Harpsichord/ Electronics/ Lyrics

Cover design – Amy Chiniara
Sound engineer (Mix & Master) – Raghid Jureidini

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French Horn: Amr Selim
Piano: Seba Ali
Violin: Sarah Mallah
Live Recording: Raghid Fadia Jureidini
Photo and video: Ramzi Kadi
Irwin Hall, LAU Beirut

Inspired by the Lebanese ancient folk tune called ” Ya Hnayena”  and the “Dal’ona” rhythm, this piece combines the Arabic scales (Maqamat) and some traditional famous Arabic rhythms with the composer’s language in harmony and development to present the Arabic music, and especially the Lebanese music, in a contemporary way.

An Orchestral Concert series by Taipei Civic Symphony Orchestra, Tunisia 88 Honors Choir, Kairos Arts – 凱樂思藝術, in LAU Beirut – Lebanon, and Gebze University – Turkey
Seba Ali, Artistic Director

Two Arabic orchestral arrangements by the Lebanese composer Wajdi Abou Diab was performed during this project

This book aims to put some pieces from the classical Arabic repertoire in a form that can be presented in any classical chamber music concert along with the occidental repertoire, willing to give Arabic music the opportunity to be performed more often by any professional musician, regardless his musical background and languages, and to occupy a status in the program of the chamber music concerts worldwide.

Chosen pieces from the wide Arabic classical repertoire, in addition to some works of contemporary Lebanese composers, arranged for solo instrument and piano, by the Lebanese composer Wajdi Abou Diab, with transposed/arranged parts for

• Instruments in C (Treble Clef)
• Instruments in C (Alto Clef)
• Instruments in C (Bass Clef)
• Instruments in A – Instruments in Bb
• Instruments in Eb
• Instruments in F
• Instruments in D
• Instruments in G
• Oud
• Violin

The scores (complete book and parts) are available as hard or soft copies

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