Derwish – in honor of, inspired by and based upon the diverse and once widespread Ottoman Sufi culture

The Derwish dances are an integral part of Sufi culture, the mystic branch of Islam, largely responsible for its spread and rapid growth from the 7th century onwards. In this perpetually rotating dance a state of mystic union of body and spirit, and of enlightenment, is reached. This is symbolized by one hand pointed upwards and the other downwards, while rotating. In the 2011 composition Derwish, elements of minimal music are combined with a tone material based upon Ottoman makams, connected to an overal rhythm in 12, resulting in a generally rotating sense of motion. Geographically, the Ottoman Empire bridged three continents: Europe, Asia and Africa, and elements of all these have been fused together into a new composed synthesis of styles as well as of performance and listening mentalities.

(duration ca. 15-30 min.)