The LP version of the long-selling piano work is being re-pressed in a new binding!Algerian pianist and composer Mustafa Scandrani's unique album 'Istiqbal and Improvisations' (1965) is an improvised variation of Andalusian folk melodies on the piano. It is a timeless masterpiece of pure music, calm and pure. In Andalusian classical music, the Western-originated piano had a marginal role, and Scandranni's performance style, which was practically pioneered, made his work seem heretical. The reason why it was heretical is that before Scandranni, piano solos were unheard of at Andalusian music concerts, and no one else would have thought of playing 'Istiqbal' (a style of Andalusian court music) on the piano, which apparently caused controversy at the time. Algerian classical music is a mixture of Andalusian court music originating from the Arab-Islamic dynasty of Spain and Turkish classical music, and is also influenced by Western, indigenous African and Jewish cultures, and is characterized by the integration of Eastern and Western cultures. 'Istiqbal' is a prelude to the court music suite style 'Nauba (or Nuva)' and has several modes. In this work, one mode is first performed and presented thematically, and then a variation is performed to make one set, for a total of nine sets of modes. The easy-to-understand charm of this work is the way the Orient, the West and Africa gracefully intersect on the keyboard, and the sound spun from the piano moves between the East and the West as if it were a single delicate line. * Newly remastered and newly cut* Insert included (in English and Japanese)
