

The Paths of Divine Love
5 Tracks1 HR4 MIN1997 Reissued 2004
℗ Le Chant du Monde — Harmonia Mundi
The quest for divine love is omnipresent in Persian mystical poetry and is manifest in all of the pieces presented in this recording. The passionate love the soul experiences as it becomes conscious of the distance separating it from its Beloved, along with the pain caused by this separation, is clearly depicted in the Tarz and Shāh Hoseynī suites. It is a love that guides the soul step by step along the path of perfection in the progression suggested by the Haft Khān-e Rostam suite. Upon arriving at the destination, this love is perpetually renewed and drives the seeker through all the levels of ecstasy in a state of absolute freedom of expression and creativity, a state evoked in the Hal Parka suite. As Ostad states, “Let us seek a love that is eternal, a spring that knowns no autumn, a flower that never fades. God alone is at once Love and the Beloved.”
Hal Parka
This piece belongs to the category of Kurdish dances traditionally performed on the occasion of weddings or joyous celebrations. It used to be called “Razbārī” and would be danced with wooden sticks in some regions. It is characterized by a fairly slow and syncopated rhythm expressing joy and lightheartedness. It is no longer the pain of separation from the Beloved; what remains is the pure joy of unbounded love, verging on ecstasy.
Tracklist
Hal Parka
The Paths of Divine Love
Hal Parka
The Paths of Divine Love