Taqsim Rasdu-dh-Dil (Tahar Gharsa) (1960)

Taqsim of Rasd-dh-Dîl (Rasd Ad-dil) Nawba, performed by Tunisian oud player and teacher Tahar (Taher) Gharsa. From “The Classical Arab-Andalusian Music of Tunis” LP (recorded in 1960, released in 1962). Click "show more“ for details. The term “Taqsim” in Arab classical music: Taqsim (repartition, fragmentation) - also called Istibhâr in Tunisia - is an instrumental improvisation without precise form. There are no other limits to the melodic arabesques than those given by the choosen mode (Maqam or Nawba). The taqsim is of fragmentary character and serves to give free course to the musical inspiration of the soloist who thus can display his talents and skill, as well as his musical taste and all the possibilities of his instrument. Often those solos are a privilege of the lutist of the orchestra while the other musicians tune their instruments according to him, do some playing to loosen their fingers, catch up the essential motifs and phrases of the mode etc. Thus the improvised solo is imbedded into a curious waving of sounds and melodic fragments of all the other instruments. Sometimes the soloist even leaves the chosen mode, modulating to another one and crossing through a whole chain of different modes and thus demonstrating his delicate taste in producing fine (and correct) modulations and transpositions of melodic phrases. After this, he has to return to the principal mode.