Anouar Brahem - Souvenance (2014) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

The music on "Souvenance" is graceful, hypnotic, taut and starkly dramatic, reflecting the political upheaval sweeping oud-master Anouar Brahem's homeland of Tunisia and its neighbouring countries. Joining Brahem is his frequent collaborator, French pianist François Couturier, supported by subtle string orchestration from the Orchestra della Svizzera italiana and conductor Pietro Mianiti. The strings have a glowing transparency and fragility in these pieces, often providing shimmering texture against which the contributions of the quartet members and, above all, Brahem’s unique oud-playing, stand out in bold relief.