

Celestial Harmonies
6 Tracks53 MIN1999 Reissued 2004
℗ Le Chant du Monde — Harmonia Mundi
This CD unveils another facet of Ostad Elahi’s music: his improvisations not only on the setar and the tanbur, which each have their own specific techniques, but also on a five-string tanbur that he himself created, probably to realize a synthesis between the Persian and Kurdish lutes. Some of the pieces are also chanted. The combination of such inimitable style, mysterious tones, and audacious dissonances takes the listener into uncharted territories.
Tchapī Suite
Tchapī is part of the Kurdish dance repertoire. It is played in the context of festivities or to express spiritual enthusiasm. This is one of the earliest recordings of Ostad’s music: it was made in 1960 without his knowledge behind the closed door of the room where he had been playing for about an hour. The quality of the recording is naturally poor, but the interpretation of tchapī presented here clearly justifies its inclusion in this selection. The listener is carried into a thrilling dance rhythm that is sustained throughout this masterly improvisation. Although tchapī often appears in Ostad’s playing (whether as a central piece or as a passage), it takes on a different form each time. In the instant case, it is played on a Persian scale with a neutral third, endowing it with a special quality.
Tracklist
Tchapī Suite
Celestial Harmonies
Tchapī Suite
Celestial Harmonies