Dilhayat Kalfa: Eserleri Classics

As well as being a composer of distinction and an instrumentalist in the Ottoman court at the beginning of the 18th century, we know that Dilhayat Kalfa was an intellectual, from the books mentioned in her estate, and that she loved songbirds – four canary cages were in her property when she died. Şehvar Beşiroğlu, leader of the Lale Women's Ensemble and a music professor in Istanbul, had devoted her scholarly life to the study of Ottoman women composers, and wrote extensively about Dilhayat Kalfa. Sadly Beşiroğlu died in 2017, aged 51, before this CD was released. So the album is a memorial of a sort – one that fellow professionals in this area will greatly appreciate but also one any newcomer will enjoy. The poise, delicacy and floating textures of this music are immediate, and need absolutely no introduction. Sinem Özdemir's singing stands out every step of the way, while Göknil Başak Özdemir's artful tanbur improvisation at the beginning of track three, a beste (song) in the ‘Rast’ mode, is a highlight. Half of the CD consists of instrumentals, flawlessly executed, should understanding the words to the songs be an obstacle. It is hard to think of a more appropriate tribute to the life of Şehvar Beşiroglu.