Istikhbars and Improvisations

There is a defiance running through Istikhbars And Improvisations. Not loud, not confrontational, but unmistakable. Recorded in Paris in 1965 and originally released on Pathé, this solo piano work from Mustapha Skandrani does something deceptively simple. It places Arabo-Andalusian tradition at the centre of a European instrument, and refuses to apologise for it.

At the time, that decision was not universally welcomed. Playing istikhbars, deeply rooted in Algerian vocal tradition, on piano was seen by some as a step too far. But Skandrani’s vision feels less like a departure and more like a return. His interpretation acknowledges something often overlooked. That Arabo-Andalusian music itself carries traces of European exchange. The piano does not distort the tradition. It reveals it from another angle.

The structure is precise. Each istikhbar is introduced, then followed by an improvisation built from its modal framework. This A/B pattern repeats throughout, giving the record a sense of symmetry without rigidity. There is space in the playing. Notes are allowed to settle, to resonate, to carry weight.

What stands out immediately is the clarity. Skandrani’s touch is measured and deliberate, every phrase articulated with care. There is a restraint here that recalls classical forms, something close to a modal reimagining of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, but filtered through a distinctly North African sensibility. Others will hear it differently, leaning more into the Maghreb influences. Both readings hold.

What matters is the balance. Skandrani does not attempt to fuse traditions in a way that blurs them. He lets them sit side by side, connected through rhythm, tone, and intent. The result is music that feels unified without being homogenised.

There is a wider idea at play here. The Mediterranean not as a divide, but as a meeting point. Cultures crossing, influencing, reshaping one another over time. Istikhbars And Improvisations captures that idea without stating it outright.

It is a rare kind of record. Quietly radical. Endlessly patient. And, above all, deeply beautiful.