Tanbur Panj Sīmī (Five-stringed Tanbur)

Choghūr

Setār-e Ketābī (Flat-Bodied Setār)

Tār

Setār

Violin (A superb Violin (Persian Violin))

Ney (Persian reed flute without a tip)

Zemāre (Dozaleh) (An Iranian kurdish double reed clarinet)

Daf (Frame drum)

Reverence (CD 2)

Jelo Shāhī (“before the King”) evokes the imperial rites of ancient Persia, transposing them on a spiritual level. The piece reaches its climax upon the announcement of the King’s arrival: “Shāh āmad, Shāh āmad!” (“The King has arrived, the King has arrived!”). Galvanized, the soul finds the energy to confront its most formidable enemies by virtue of the King’s presence.

Jelo Shāhī Suite

The title of this piece means “O King, may You be with me.” Ostad was very fond of this supplication. The lyrics are attributed to one of spiritual companions of Shāh Khoshīn, a great Kurdish saint of the eleventh century. In this entreaty, the poet expresses his pure love for the Divine:<blockquote>You are my beginning, You are my end You molded me from a drop of water Your heaven or Your hell I care not for My hope is for You to always be with me.</blockquote>

Yā Shāh To Bā Man Bāshī

Despite the interruption of a crying child, this piece presents a short sample of the manner in which Ostad Elahi played the tār.

Depending on the context, the term qatār can signify a caravan, a convoy, a chain, or a link. Qatār is a profound and intimate mode with little rhythm that evokes prayer and secrets. Each piece appears as a link in a chain whose various elements fit together to form a continuous and perfectly balanced rhythmic and harmonic movement.

Qatār Suite

Bālā dastān means the lower register on the neck of the tanbur, and it is in this register (the seven lowest frets of the instrument) that this ancient melody is usually played. Ostad Elahi, however, extended the melody to the entire tanbur.

Bālā Dastān

Tarz is a generic term that means style, genre, or manner. In Ostad's repertoire, it refers to a category of ancient mystical melodies. Filled with nostalgia, this air invites introspection and a return to oneself.

Tarz

Shekaste means “broken.” This piece belongs to the repertoire of Āzerbāījānī music that Ostad Elahi interpreted on the Turkish choghūr. He was quite fond of this melody, which he would sometimes set to various poems.

Shekaste

Bābā Sarhang is the name of a saint who lived in the ninth century and was a predecessor to Shāh Khoshīn. Similarly, Bābā Nāūs is the name of a saint who lived in the tenth and eleventh centuries.

Bābā Sarhangī va Bābā Nāūsī (Nāvūsī)

Bālā (the top or higher part of the neck) refers to the lower register. There are some who believe that this air can also serve as the backdrop for a dance in which the arms are extended like two (do) wings (bāl). The origin of the ensuing melody, Karīm Khānī (the air of Karīm Khān), is unknown.

Do Bālā va Karīm Khānī

Entitled “The rose and the thorn,” this piece evokes states of spiritual joy and sadness. According to Ostad Elahi, “Iranian melodies, especially the ancient ones, always come in pairs: an impassioned melody is followed by a sweet melody; a jubilant melody is followed by a nostalgic air, etc.”

Gol va Khār Suite

Reflection (CD 1)

The Saharī suite evokes dawn, that particular moment when nature awakens to address her song of praise to the Creator. Both the rhythm and the melody are in constant flux. At first, they recall the song of a nightingale and other birds before shifting to the sounds and echoes of nature: Dawn has arrived, and the universe is awakening.

Saharī Suite

The name of this piece literally evokes the song (khānī) of a starling (sār); it may also be a reference to the saint (Sārū Khān) who composed it. Here, Ostad accompanies the melody with a supplication:<blockquote>Praise to You, benevolent and glorious Lord You who knows all that is hidden and revealed My Creator, my Refuge, my Support It is You that I implore, in hardship and in fortune No matter how great my failings, Your forgiveness is greater still I have succumbed to temptation, now I am plagued by remorse O God, hear my plea For You know how miserable and destitute I am</blockquote>

Sārū Khānī Suite

Ostad had classified this suite among the antique modes, but its title and content, at once tragic and majestic, are also reminiscent of the story of the martyrdom of Imam Hoseyn, the grandson of the prophet Muhammad. From this standpoint, it appears as an invitation to self-abnegation in the soul’s journey toward perfection.

Shāh Hoseynī Suite

The terms Tchapī and Tchūpī mean ecstasy and enthusiasm, and designate a dance expressing spiritual exaltation. This piece, rendered on his five-string tanbur, is introduced as follows: “Tchapī intended for myself.” Later, Ostad would explain that at that moment it was as though he were inhabited by the Divine, a well-known motif in the mystical tradition.

Tchapī (Tchūpī)

In its original form, this melody is attributable to Sheykh Amīr, an 18th century Kurdish mystic. The Sheykh Amīrī suite subsequently became a generic term designating a melodic type or family of airs, of which there are seventeen variants in Ostad’s repertoire, from the simplest (that of Sheykh Amīr himself) to the most elaborate (that of Ostad).

Sheykh Amīrī Suite

Zīr-e Dastān means the higher register on the neck of the tanbur. According to Ostad: “The angels who sing with the tanbur are divided into two groups: those who sing in the upper ranges and those who sing in the lower ranges.” The mode is joyful and resembles the Major mode in the western tradition.

Zīr-e Dastān

Farangī (“Frank” or “European”) is a chord introduced to the tanbur’s repertoire by Ostad Elahi. Among the notable pieces in this mode is the Zang-e Shotorī-e Hazrat-e Mowlā. It is said that Hazrat-e Mowlā would adjust the sound of the small bells on his camels (Zang-e Shotor) such that their tinkling would produce a melody that spurred the camels’ pace.

Farangī Suite

The Sacred Lute: The Art of Ostad Elahi

This first piece is attributed to two prominent figures of the Ahl-e Haqq tradition,1 considered to be theophanies: Bābā Sarhang and Bābā Nāūs, who lived between the 10th and 12th centuries. Whereas the spirit of self-abnegation and self-sacrifice along the divine path characterized the mystical love of Bābā Sarhang, the main focus of Bābā Nāūs was to warn us of the need to emerge from our spiritual amnesia in this world and to concern ourselves with our spiritual destiny in the hereafter: "Do you think the eye that is blind today can tomorrow see? Beware that day when you shall be blinded to all that He has revealed.”2The uniqueness of this piece lies in the fact that the entire session, from the moment the instrument is taken in hand and tuned to the concluding words that are uttered, has been recorded. The atmosphere is intimate, with only a few close acquaintances and relatives in attendance. The tuning of the tanbur can be heard, mixed with ambient noise, before the transition to playing begins with a sweet melody. The repetition of the same note that follows the first melodic phrases creates a kind of weightlessness. The playing gradually intensifies, as one can hear various melodies enriched with ornaments. The mood suddenly shifts to a joyful melody that invites a dance, as the melody alternates from one chord to another. Prompted by Ostad, a daf (frame drum) joins in; despite its overpowering presence and the rudimentary recording equipment,3 the sound of the tanbur can still be heard. Ostad Elahi was seldom accompanied by the daf—this accompaniment marks one of only two known instances to have been recorded.4After concluding the sequence with the words “Hū avval-o ākherem Yār, Yā Ali”5 (You are my beginning and my end, O Ali), Ostad Elahi takes the daf and, exceptionally, plays a few beats, providing an example of the balance and solemnity with which he played this instrument.<ol class="number"><li value=1>A mystical tradition of Western Iran.</li><li value=2>Ostad Elahi would often utter this phrase, which comes from Majma ol-Kalām, a manuscript of the kalāms of the Ahl-e Haqq tradition. Based on his in-depth knowledge of his native tradition, Ostad Elahi gathered together and rectified these kalāms, removing in the process any nonauthentic extraneous additions.</li><li value=3>A single analog, non-directional microphone.</li><li value=4>In all of Ostad Elahi’s recordings published to date, the daf can be heard only once: on Destinations (Paris: Le Chant du Monde, 2008), vol. 1, track 3.</li><li value=5>Invoking Ali, a great saint in the Shiite tradition and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, is a way of invoking the divinity.</li></ol>

Bābā Sarhangī and Bābā Nāūsī (Nāvūsī) Suite

The three zekrs1 in this suite are addressed to Soltān;2 the first and third were composed by Ostad, while the second was composed by his father Hādj Nemat.3The first zekr is characterized by a recurring chord that concludes each phrase of the chant. An astute listener will hear a number of improvised movements of rhythm, creating the impression of multiple instruments being played at the same time.<blockquote>Soltān Sahākī Ali gīān Shāy tanīā tākī Ali gīānO Ali, my Beloved, you are Soltān Sahāk, the Lord O Ali, my Beloved, you are the unique and peerless King</blockquote>The second and third zekrs are quite close from a melodic standpoint and are especially rhythmic. Behind the simple chant lies a highly dense melody with a multitude of subtle variations and ornaments.<blockquote>Soltān-e mardān yā Ali Shafāy kol dardān yā AliYou are the Sovereign of all beings, O Ali You are the remedy for all ills, O AliSoltān sar jam Hū Hū Zāt-esh va jam Hū HūSoltān, He presides over the gathering, Hū Hū His essence is present in this gathering, Hū Hū</blockquote>As is often the case, this series of zekrs ends with “Hū avval-o ākherem Yār” (He! [You] are my beginning and my end).<ol class="number"><li value=1>A zekr is a sacred hymn in which participants repeat the refrains in chorus.</li><li value=2>Soltān Sahāk (or Eshāq) was a great theophany of the fourteenth centuries and is considered the founder of the Ahl-e Haqq order, the mystical tradition in which Ostad Elahi was raised. Addressing Soltān is also a way of invoking the Divinity, as is invoking Hū, which refers to both the personal pronoun "He" and the "Breath."</li><li value=3>A writer and mystical poet in the Kurdish and Persian languages, Hādj Nemat is regarded as a great saint of the Ahl-e Haqq tradition.</li></ol>

Suite of Zekrs

This supplication alternates between high and low tones, with restrained and more intense melodies—such as a shor phrase1 (2'11)—rising up and immediately subsiding. Ostad uses different playing techniques from the tanbur and the setār2 to produce successive waves of notes that unfold in a permanent drone on the low note.<ol class="number"><li value=1>A kind of roll produced by the right hand.</li><li value=2>The Persian setār is a classical instrument belonging to the family of long-neck lutes. It initially had three strings, but it is said that a fourth string was added in the eighteenth century by Moshtāq Alīshāh, an ecstatic mystic and legendary musician who was a setār master. The right-hand playing technique involves only the index finger, which plucks the strings in a back and forth movement, whereas Ostad's technique on the tanbur uses all five fingers of the right hand.</li></ol>

Supplication in the Bābā Jalīlī Suite

This piece is played on the choghūr,1 the traditional instrument of the Azerbaijani bards. This rare choghūr was built in Hamadān, though it resembles the shape of instruments from Urmia, with two rows of three and four strings. Dating from the 19th century, it features a carvel-built body with mulberry ribs and soundboard and a hollow ornate neck, attesting to its authenticity. The name “Seyyed Ali” has been carved on its soundboard.Gereylī is part of what Ostad Elahi called the “Turkish suites," or, more precisely, the main "royal suites.” The denomination of these pieces, which capture the intensity of one’s relationship with the Beloved, refers to the time of the first Safavid Persian kings (from 1501), who were Turkish-speaking.The melody here is joyful, and the configuration of the instrument with its many strings offers a wide spectrum of harmonic resonances. Ostad plays this instrument in his own unique way, using a cherry wood plectrum between his thumb and index finger, as is customary, while keeping the other three fingers free to produce rolls (shor) that he would combine with the plectrum strokes.The day this piece was recorded on tape, Ostad Elahi played several of his instruments and, to the surprise of those in attendance, picked up the choghūr and demonstrated considerable mastery of the instrument. In fact, Ostad Elahi had learned to play the choghūr during his youth and was intimately familiar with its repertoire. In addition, he had innovated its playing technique, notably by introducing the shor (roll). He played the choghūr less frequently over time and stopped playing it altogether during the latter years of his life, which imparts this singular moment with even greater value. Subsequently, he recorded the entire Turkish suites—some twenty pieces—in a single session. The only other recording of Ostad Elahi playing the choghūr was released as part of the eponymous double CD-Book commemorating The Sacred Lute: The Art of Ostad Elahi exhibition (Paris: Le Chant du Monde/The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2014), Shekaste, CD 2, track 7.<ol class="number"><li value=1>This instrument, along with several others that belonged to Ostad Elahi, is featured in a dedicated showcase within the musical instrument galleries of The Met.</li></ol>

Gereylī

The story of Bābā Faqīh is well-known in the Ahl-e Haqq tradition. A version of this story appears in The Book of the Kings of Truth,1 the spiritual epic composed by Hādj Nemat. The story is set in the time of Shāh Khoshīn, a 10th century mystic considered to be a theophanic figure by the Ahl-e Haqq. It recounts how a magnanimous glance from a man of God led Bābā Faqīh, a rebellious and arrogant individual, to completely transform his nature and become devoted to spirituality: "(H)earing these words, the eyes of Bābā Faqīh's soul were opened and he saw himself for what he was. He threw himself at Shāh Khoshīn’s feet, imploring forgiveness from the merciful God: 'In the proximity of Your presence, I ask that You absolve me of my faults! Blind and ignorant, I did not know You, You who are goodness! Now I attest that from the beginning to the end of time, You were, You are, and You will be Lord of the Worlds!'"2Ostad Elahi was particularly fond of this poignant and powerful supplication, often playing improvised versions that were renewed and different each time. In this recording, the melody is initially confined to a small interval, with the counterpoint on the low string and a slow rhythm without much dynamic range. It then opens and expands to cover a larger interval, allowing the incorporation of new sounds with unexpected changes in key. The rhythm is marked by syncopal phases, jolts that alternate with cascades of notes evoking dialogue and weeping.<ol class="number"><li value=1>Shāhnāmeh-ye Haqīqat (or Haqq ol-Haqāyeq) (Tehran: Jeyhūn, 1995), with a commentary by Ostad Elahi.</li><li value=2>These verses were composed by companions of Shāh Fazl-e Valī, a 9th-10th century theophanic figure in the Ahl-e Haqq tradition.</li></ol>

Supplication in the Bābā Faqīhī Suite

This hymn was composed by Hādj Nemat in 1906. The soft melody accompanies the following verses, which speak to the ephemeral nature of the material world and our finite time within it:1<blockquote>Donīā fānīyan Dāwed gīān Har Haqq bāqīyan Dāwed gīānAll in this world is precarious, O Dāwūd Only the Truth shall remain, O Dāwūd</blockquote>On one of his trips to western Iran, Ostad later modified the original lyrics and turned this hymn of mourning into one of joy.2A purposeful delay can be heard between the sung phrases, almost as if to emphasize the meaning of the words being imparted.<ol class="number"><li value=1>These verses reference the Qur’anic verses, "Everyone on earth perishes; all that remains is the Face of your Lord, full of majesty, bestowing honor.” The Qur’an, trans. M.A.S. Abdel Haleem (New York: Oxford University Press, 2016), 55: 26-27.</li><li value=2>This song and its modified lyrics, Shīrīna Leylā, appears on the CD Celestial Harmonies (Paris: Le Chant du Monde, 1999/2004), track 4.</li></ol>

Hymn

Recorded in 1964, this piece belongs to a category of Kurdish dances traditionally performed during marriage ceremonies or joyous celebrations. Ostad Elahi, however, performed this piece with a spiritual intention. With a short and repetitive pattern, it begins with an invitation to join the dance and embrace its rhythm. As the rhythmic variations multiply, they sustain the energy and vitality of the piece, inducing a state of profound spiritual joy, one that perhaps foreshadows the bliss that awaits the soul upon reuniting with its Beloved.

Hal Parka

The Eternal and the Ephemeral

) in his own distinct way, holding the plectrum between his thumb and index finger, while using the other three fingers to do rolls (

) that he combined with strikes of the plectrum. The type of choghūr that he used to play was mounted with two courses of double strings and one course of triple strings tuned in seconds.

Ostad would play this Azeri lute (or sāz) in his own distinct way, holding the plectrum between his thumb and index finger, while using the other three fingers to do rolls (shor) that he combined with strikes of the plectrum. The type of choghūr that he used to play was mounted with two courses of double strings and one course of triple strings tuned in seconds.

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 681