In 1999, composer Issa Boulos created a groundbreaking work titled Samaʿi for an Unspecified Reason, written for string quartet, clarinet, and riq (Arab tambourine). The piece draws upon the venerable samaʿi form, a cornerstone of Ottoman and Arabic art music, while simultaneously reimagining its parameters through a modern lens. Traditionally, a samaʿi unfolds in a fixed sequence: an opening khana or A section, followed by a refrain (R), then continues with the B section, R, D, R, and finally the C section, which is distinguished by its compound meter. Samaʿis are always set in 10/8. Historically, these works flourished in courtly and aristocratic circles, performed for monarchs, sultans, and refined audiences who valued compositional elegance and melodic subtlety. The form itself traces its roots to the 19th-century Mevlevi order, where it was initially conceived as part of spiritual and ceremonial performance practices.
 
Boulos, however, reshapes this heritage for a contemporary context. By titling his composition for an Unspecified Reason, he immediately distances it from the ceremonial or celebratory purposes that once defined the genre. Instead, the piece becomes a personal, open-ended exploration, a reflection on the artistic process itself and the evolving meaning of tradition in the modern world. In doing so, Boulos both honors and challenges the conventions of the samaʿi.
 
While he preserves core elements of the maqam system—its modal organization, microtonal nuance, and rhythmic vitality—Boulos defies the strict tonal hierarchy that once governed classical Arab composition. His approach blends traditional rhythmic cycles central to maqam practice with the harmonic and textural innovations of contemporary chamber music. The inclusion of Western instruments such as the string quartet and clarinet further extends the intercultural dialogue, creating a sound world where Arabic modal aesthetics intersect with Western timbral and structural experimentation.
 
Through this synthesis, Samaʿi, for an Unspecified Reason, transforms the samaʿi from a genre bound to royal patronage and formal convention into a space of creative freedom and introspection. Boulos’s work stands as both an homage to and a reimagining of the classical Arab music tradition, demonstrating how inherited musical forms can serve as fertile ground for modern expression.
 
The purchase price includes all parts and the score.

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