La Mélancolie Royale

Anyone who has visited the Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul will know what a monstrous mess was created by the Ottomans trying to become European. Built by Sultan Abdülmecid I in the mid 19th century, it glitters with overdecorative chandeliers, golden ceilings and neo-Baroque fripperies. On this disc, Turkey's greatest ney player laments the wisdom and spirituality lost by trying to imitate the West. It takes its title from the melancholy these Western-leaning Sultans felt when they experienced pure Ottoman music.

It's hard to imagine a purer form of the tradition than this with Erguner playing six solo meditations on the ney. The reed flute has strong mystical associations because of the way it features in the poetry of the 13th century mystic poet Rumi and is prominently used in Mevlevi Sufi music. Erguner uses only one instrument (a Kiz ney in A), but five different maqams. It's lovely to hear the notes that deviate from a Western scale, although the mood is consistently tranquil and calming. This is music for meditation after all and the tracks last from seven to 15 minutes. For Erguner, it's also a lament for the way great art music from different civilisations is transformed into ‘ethnic, popular and folkloric’ styles to make them more appealing. For him, the unhealthy fascination with the West continues and his response is meditative Sufi music from the heart of the tradition.