Lalezar Ensemble


The Lalezar Ensemble is a musical ensemble which performs Ottoman classical music. It is based in Istanbul, and is "spearheading" the revival of Ottoman music.
Female vocalist Selma Sagbas stands in for the male castrati who were traditional from the 16th-19th centuries while the kanun, a Turkish board zither, is also featured.

Releases

They released a four volume series on the Traditional Crossroads label:
  • Music of the Sultans, Sufis & Seraglio, Vol. 1 - Sultan Composers
  • Music of the Sultans, Sufis & Seraglio, Vol. 2 - Music of the Dancing Boys
  • Music of the Sultans, Sufis & Seraglio, Vol. 3 - Minority Composers
  • Music of the Sultans, Sufis & Seraglio, Vol. 4 - Ottoman Suite
In collaboration with Lalezar, Armenian-American musician Harold Hagopian spent three years to mix, annotate, and package the four volume series, causing the ensemble to increase their repertoire of pieces by Armenian composers.