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)

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

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

Samā,1 whose various meanings include “audition,” refers both to the mystical concert and the cosmic dance induced by this audition, a meaning that gained prominence in the 13th century under the influence of Mowlānā Rūmī. According to this great Persian poet and mystic, “The Samā constitutes but a small part of the eternal dance the soul is destined to join one day. Every being partakes in this cosmic dance. . . .”2Samā expresses a melody that comes “from the firmament” (samāvāt: heavens) to resonate in the soul and sweep the listener away in a dance that Ostad has described as celestial. This improvisation was recorded in the 50s by Ostad’s eldest daughter while he played alone in his room. Rendered on a five-stringed tanbur (panj sīmī),3 it provides a good example of Ostad’s unique technique, notably his singular style of combining playing techniques from the tanbur with those of the setār (see also track 4).The suite opens with a series of themes, often composed of simple notes that convey a heightened sensitivity. Recurring tremolos impart an intimate character to the melody, which conveys the profound nostalgia of a fettered soul unable to rejoin its Creator. The melody gradually strengthens, supported by an accompaniment of chords that slowly replace the tremolos. The atmosphere shifts, with alternating dissonances and free-flowing solos. Following a rubato cycle of rhythm variations (slowing down then returning to tempo), the sound becomes fuller and the movement of the cosmic dance sweeps the soul away in an increasingly powerful flux, accompanied by the following chant:4<blockquote>Āmān sad āmān wa āmāna kū Ya das[t]-e mena / Ali wa dāmān-e toYour help I implore a hundred times over, but where is Your help? Here is my hand that grasps the hem of thy robe</blockquote><ol class="number"><li value=1>See Ostad Elahi, Celestial Dances, compact disc (Paris: Le Chant du Monde, 2005).</li><li value=2>Jean During, Musique et extase (Paris: Albin Michel, 1988), 200.</li><li value=3>Panj sīmī: A special five-stringed tanbur (two double-strings for trebles and mediums, and a single string for the bass) invented by Ostad Elahi. See Celestial Harmonies, compact disc (Paris: Le Chant du Monde, 1994/2004).</li><li value=4>It is difficult to convey the full meaning of this song, expressed in Kurdish in a simple but powerful way. As Jean During states: “The language of these songs is admirably adapted to the expression of mystical love, with its poetic turns of phrase that are audacious, concise, and striking while exhibiting great freedom.” The Spirit of Sounds: The Unique Art of Ostad Elahi (Cranbury, NJ: Cornwall Books, 2003), 75-6.</li></ol>

Samā

Recorded in the intimacy of his family circle with equipment from the 60s, this melody is conveyed through a pared-down style on the tanbur. From the outset, the chant is quite intimate and high-pitched, unfolding with subtle cantillation-like variations. The voice and the instrument are in complete unity.During the principal chant, the accompaniment of the tanbur is based on a slow and sober rhythm, whereas it becomes filled with ornamentations when the assembly answers. The first verses of this zekr1:<blockquote>Haqq Haqq-e hū hū / Ey āqāy jāfem Ghonaray sar tāfem / Yār bī gazāfem</blockquote>are an invocation to Soltān,2 who in this context represents the divine essence; “Haqq” and “Hū” are divine names that refer to the Truth, God, and the One.“Ghonaray” (the river) “sar tāfem” (the foam on the crest of the wave) represents both the turbulence of the impetuous river’s currents and the flashes of light emerging from the swirling waters, while “yār bī gazāfem” means my Beloved (Yār), Soltān, who is devoid of lies. Thus, these verses can be translated as follows:<blockquote>The world, like a river, is all sparkle and turbulence But You, my Beloved, are devoid of ostentation, pure Truth</blockquote><ol class="number"><li value=1>Zekr literally means remembrance of God. These zekrs are prayers that are chanted or sung aloud, with the repetition of divine names and attributes.</li><li value=2>Soltān Eshāq (or Sahāk), a great theophanic figure of the fourteenth century, is considered the founder of the mystical order of the Ahl-e Haqq.</li></ol>

Haqq Haqq-e Hū Hū

This piece was recorded in Ostad’s home. After he begins to play, a microphone is gently placed in front of his tanbur; he continues playing, absorbed by the intimacy of his dialogue with his Creator.An excerpt of this piece titled Wālā wītāna was released on the CD Celestial Harmonies (track 2) and on the double CD (“Reverence,” track 2) accompanying the commemorative book marking The Sacred Lute: The Art of Ostad Elahi exhibition at the MET. Here, the entire piece has been made available to restore its complete spiritual significance. Rendered on the five-stringed tanbur, the melody develops in a subtle manner, alternating between high-pitched and low-pitched responses that produce a veritable conversation, a musical dialogue. The playing of the left hand is powerful, while the index finger of the right hand, which Ostad uses as if he were playing the setār,1 strikes the strings in a way that greatly amplifies the sound of the instrument2. Though the rhythm frequently varies during the piece, no hiatus is heard throughout.The melody of the next passage was arranged by Ostad Elahi based on verses by Pīr Razbār. The only woman with the spiritual rank of an archangel in the Kurdish Ahl-e Haqq tradition, Pīr Razbār is a highly revered saint who lived in the 14th century. The mother of Soltān Eshāq, her spiritual pole, she was entirely devoted to him.The first verse of the poem, “ Wa[Cha] manzelgātān kām djā djītāna,” can be translated as “where and in what standing do you wish your abode?” Ostad has interpreted this verse as follows: Along your journey, at what point do you wish to stop? At the opulence of this world? At the abundant blessings of Paradise? The purpose of this path (which is revealed to you) is for you to reach the Truth/God. Once you arrive at the Truth, everything will be resolved; you will have knowledge of everything.As for the second verse, “Eshq-e Haqq wa sar sheet-e wītāna,” which can be translated as “Carry the madness of love of Truth in your heart and in your heart be enamored with God!” Ostad has said the following: It is after a person has gone through all of the spiritual stages that the love of the Truth/God blossoms in one’s heart. When one reaches a state where all the pleasures in this world are no longer a pleasure, one becomes boundlessly enamored with the Truth, such as Mansūr,3 who uttered, “I am the Truth!” or Zachary,4 who laughed as they tortured him, or Hoseyn,5 who wore a smile on his face when they decapitated him. In this state, the body and the world no longer mean anything. From there, one reaches a state of rapture, a state in which wherever one looks, it is God/the Truth that one sees, and one is ready to be launched by God into the realm of Perfection.<blockquote>Wa[Cha] manzelgātān kām djā djītāna Eshq-e Haqq wa sar sheet-e wītāna Wa[Cha] manzelgātān kām djā djītāna Rāy Haqq rāsīan rāsī rītāna Ya shart-e eqrār shart-e shātāna Bāqī ākherat manzelgātāna Ya dām-e balā ya balātāna Eshq-e Haqq wa sar sheet-e wītāna Dīn-e āshekār bar malātāna Eshq-e Haqq wa sar sheet-e wītāna Wa[Cha] manzelgātān kām djā djitānaWhere and in what place do you wish your abode? Carry the madness of love of Truth in your heart and in your heart be enamored with God! Where and in what place do you wish your abode? The path of Truth is righteousness, righteousness is the path This is the pact of acceptance, this is the pact Spiritual (permanent) era is your abode This trap of pain is the necessary evil Carry the madness of love of Truth in your heart and in your heart be enamored with God! It is the apparent path that is now revealed to you Carry the madness of love of Truth in your heart and in your heart be enamored with God! Where and in what standing do you wish your abode? Carry the madness of love of Truth in your heart and in your heart be enamored with God!</blockquote>This chant is followed by a supplication that Ostad Elahi was quite fond of. Its melody was inspired by Mansūrī, an archetypal learned Persian melody (gūshe). The chanted text is a poem written in honor of Shāh Khoshīn6 by one of his spiritual companions, who conveys his boundless love for the Divine:<blockquote>Az avval to būdī yā dīn yā dīn Ali Ali Ali Hū Hū Ākheram to bāshī Az qatre-ye āb-e, Az qatre-ye āb-e manī ey dīn Ali Ali Manat kardī naqqāshī yā Mowlām yā Mowlām Bā behesht o dūzakhat hey Mowlām kārī nadāram Omīdvāram yā Ali to bā man bāshī AliFrom the beginning, there was You In the end, it will be just you You, O Almighty, my Faith, my Breath! You, O Almighty, my Faith, my Breath! You molded me from a drop O my Lord! I have no need for Your paradise or Your hell What I hope, O Almighty Is that You are always with me, You!</blockquote>This passage is followed by Mobārak Bādā (second version, Celestial Harmonies, tracks 1 and 2). Both the color and the mood shift, giving way to a more nostalgic tone. A series of themes coalesce, offering an array of rich polyphony and harmonies, nuances and rhythmic changes. The suite is a sort of Zang-e shotorī7—a melodious, soft, and serene piece whose moderate swaying evokes the tingling bells of a moving caravan.<ol class="number"><li value=1>The Persian setār is a classical three-stringed instrument belonging to the family of long-necked lutes.</li><li value=2>Ostad used to play the Persian setār in his own personal way, at times plucking the strings “in reverse”—that is, from top to bottom in order to mark the accents. For more information, see Jean During, The Spirit of Sounds: The Unique Art of Ostad Elahi (Cranbury, NJ: Cornwall Books, 2003).</li><li value=3>Mansūr Hallāj (d. 922), a martyr celebrated in the East, was put to death after having declared in a moment of ecstasy and mystical union: “I am the Truth.”</li><li value=4>Zachary, who was the father of Saint John the Baptist, was wrongly accused of a crime and sawn in half.</li><li value=5>Hoseyn (626-680), the grandson of the prophet Muhammad and the third imam in Twelver Shiism, was martyred in Karbalā.</li><li value=6>Shāh Khoshīn, a prominent eleventh century Kurdish saint, formalized the tanbur as a sacred instrument.</li><li value=7>Zang-e Shotorī (“camel bells”) is a melody inspired by the movement of a caravan of camels. It is said that Ali (a prominent saint of the Shia tradition and son-in-law of the prophet Muhammad) adjusted the sound of the bells of his camels (Zang-e Shotor) so that the ensuing melody would stimulate their pace.</li></ol>

Yā Shāh to Bā Man Bāshī

Saharī is usually played to announce dawn and the awakening of nature. It can also be perceived as a call for the soul to awaken and experience more intensely the effect of the One, which is present everywhere and in everything, and to not be negligent or sluggish while all of creation sings and praises the Divine.This piece originates from recordings made in the early 60s. It represents both a technical and artistic challenge: it is performed on a small Persian setâr that Ostad had named “Bolbol” (nightingale).1 He had modified this setâr into a smaller replica of his five-stringed tanbur. Ostad played this instrument in a manner that upended established rules: he combined tanbur playing techniques (five fingers hitting all the strings or playing rolls) with those of the setâr (plucking the strings with the index). Above all, he played this melody in the Farangī chord (in thirds) on a five-stringed tanbur, an almost insurmountable challenge; both the technical and physical means are lacking to achieve the desired sound. Only Ostad's virtuosity is able to produce this astonishing impression of ease and simplicity.The suite is incomplete, as the very beginning of the recording was unusable. The piece thus opens on a major key, an A-F third, that also constitutes its foundation. As the melody develops, the initial rhythm changes, with the playing of ornamentations and several shors (five-finger rolls) during short silences. The melody then returns, played in solo, in the simplest and purest manner possible, on a string with a single finger. The melody is then played anew, with all the previous characteristics (melodic, rhythmic) but with a fresh intensity. The piece as a whole is akin to an overture featuring expansive and energetic playing, a combination of subtle fluidity and great power.<ol class="number"><li value=1>A flat-bodied travel instrument with which he almost always traveled. Ostad Elahi’s family has donated this instrument to the Musée de la musique de la Philharmonie in Paris.</li></ol>

“Yā Soltān Āmān” is a zekr composed by Ostad during his youth, probably in the 1930s, during one of his journeys to the shrine of Soltān. This version is performed on a tār (a long-necked lute from the learned Persian tradition) and is accompanied by a daf (a frame drum struck with the hand).The original lyrics of this zekr are:<blockquote>Yā Soltān Āmān Āgerem Dāy Dasht-e awrāmān wāvarem dāyO Soltān, mercy, you have set me aflame You have laid the plain of Awrāmān1 at my feet</blockquote>On this recording, however, Ostad does not sing these words but introduces subtle variations invoking the Divine (“Yā Ali Jān,” “Haqq Ali Jān,” “Mowlām Ali,” “Yā Ali Āmān”). The piece enables us to appreciate the power of Ostad’s right hand, which is never overshadowed by the beats of the daf and the collective hand-clapping.Although played with variants, the main motif has the specificity of always ending on a countercurrent chord that coincides with the last strike on the daf, imparting each time a rhythmic impulse and energy that revives the dynamics of the piece. A festive feeling and joy predominate, as the melody is light and the rhythm lively.<ol class="number"><li value=1>Awrāmān is a region in Kurdestān that occupies a symbolic role in the Ahl-e Haqq tradition.</li></ol>

Variations on the Yā Soltān Āmān Āgerem Dāy Melody

Ostad often played this suite, but rarely on the five-stringed tanbur; this is the only recording of its kind. In a calm and peaceful atmosphere, he introduces the piece with these words:<blockquote>Ey Khodāvand-e tabārak va taālā rūh-e mān va tavajoh-e mān be sūy-e Tost Ey Khodāyā Īnak barāy-e meymanat-e shab-e emshab ke shab-e mobārakī be nazar mīresad, īnak shurū mīkonīm be yek Jelo Shāhī Omīdvāram ke pasand-e maqām-e Manavī beshavad. Hū yā AliO God, the Almighty and Great, our soul and our attention are turned toward You, O Lord! Now, in order to receive grace on this night, which appears to be a blessed night, we will begin by playing Jelo Shāhī. I hope it will meet with the approval of the spiritual Rank.</blockquote>The piece opens with several chords struck vigorously in a major key. The deep, majestic sounds reverberate to fill the entire audible spectrum. Throughout the piece, the energy and intensity of the playing increase, with moments of lively staccato. During a more solemn passage at about 10’20 in the recording, the main melody seems to divide itself, leading to several distinct melodic phrases, all different yet complementing each other, as if additional instrumentalists had joined in, rendering a true polyphony.Almost of a pictorial nature, this piece offers a series of musical canvasses that impart a sense of grandeur, dignity, and nobility, unfolding like scenes from a film. At first, one can sense a feeling of joy, but a feeling that is somewhat contained. The melodies relate a sense of anticipation up until the final passage, which corresponds to the arrival of the spiritual king.Although the typical melodies of the Jelo Shāhī suite are all discernable,1 they are played here with complete freedom of improvisation. At times they are played faster, and at times they can only be heard between two cavalcades: the rhythms are races, gallops, and rushing whirlwinds. Each melody appears to want to displace the prior one. The lush and orchestral sound that Ostad Elahi produces with the five-stringed tanbur endows this interpretation with a masterful dimension, yet another account of the freedom that was among the hallmarks of his playing.<ol class="number"><li value=1>See The Celestial Music of Ostad Elahi, compact disc (Paris: Le Chant du Monde, 1996/2004), track 1.</li></ol>

Jelo Shāhī Suite on the Five-Stringed Tanbur

My Beginning and My End

CD 2

This suite, the pure expression of a profound quest wherein material preoccupations have no role, is the supplication of one who aspires solely to meeting and reuniting with the Beloved. The piece has moments of pure imploration calling upon the intercession of Bābā Yādegār, Soltān’s companion and the manifestation of one of the seven archangels. His indifference to base worldly matters makes him a symbol of the esoteric aspects of the relationship with God.The story of Ābedīn is one of the accounts passed on orally in the Ahl-e Haqq tradition; it is included in The Book of the Kings of Truth, a mystical epic written around 1912 by Ostad Elahi’s father, Hādj Nematollāh. Ostad himself has written a detailed commentary on this work entitled Hāshīye bar Haqq ol-Haqāyeq. The story of Ābedīn is as follows: A devout man at the time of Soltān had four sons, three of whom embraced the mystical faith of their father and believed in Soltān as the earthly manifestation of the divine essence. But the fourth son, Ābedīn, denounced this mystical approach as heresy, placing his enthusiasm and faith in Islamic theology and jurisprudence instead. According to Ābedīn, the salvation of the soul lay in the literal study of the holy texts and the rigorous application of exoteric rules. He felt such animosity toward Soltān and his followers that he even strewed thorns along the path leading to Soltān’s abode to lacerate the feet of pilgrims going to see him.When Ābedīn’s father sought Soltān’s counsel, the latter replied, “Leave your son alone. Though he doesn’t possess the same faith as your other children, his soul is even purer than theirs. The day he reaches illumination, he will become as my own son.”A few days later, Ābedīn, engrossed in his theological studies, felt a wave of mystical exaltation rising within him, something he had never experienced till that day. Suddenly lifted outside of himself, he found himself projected into another dimension where the secrets of creation were revealed to him and his previous lives were disclosed to him.When he came to, he was no longer the same man. Whatever he gazed upon, even the tiniest thing, he could feel the presence of Soltān’s essence. As though inebriated with this essence, he threw all his books and lessons into the water; they were no longer of any use to him. While all this was happening, a few beautiful young women were sitting at the water’s edge. Ābedīn’s teacher (a holy man) had witnessed the whole event, but thought Ābedīn’s wild gestures were a reaction to seeing the beautiful young women and designed merely to attract their attention; he rebuked him, invoking punishment and divine wrath. But Ābedīn’s feelings were elsewhere. His newly enlightened heart longed for different shores. In a state of exaltation, oscillating between passion and remorse, he rushed off toward the abode of his Beloved and henceforth became one of Soltān’s close companions.In this suite, Ostad Elahi sings some lines from the long poem recounting the story of Ābedīn. The instrument is tuned in fifths (Tarz). From the very start, we are plunged into the heart of a deep meditation. In spite of the reduced range of the melody in the early part of the work, it is extremely intense. The notes of the motif never follow one another in the same manner. Through ornamentation, rhythm, and phrasing and their different combinations, the whole piece is constantly renewed and recreated. The play of chromatic fifths between the lower and higher registers gives dramatic fullness to the piece, expressing the noble quality of the quest. A counter-melody played in chromatic notes on the low string imbues the work with a mood of deep longing and nostalgia, a sign of the heartrending suffered due to separation from the Beloved.A few lyrical passages at the higher end of the scale reinforce these feelings, which are then aroused again by their seemingly obvious musical treatment in the form of the most delicate intervals (a succession of fifths, augmented fourths, a major seventh). Finally, the voice joins the instrument in its expression of this quest.

Suite Ābedīnī, with a Yādegārī Introduction

<blockquote>Yār dīdagīānī, Benyāmīn pīra Pīr Mūsī vazīr / Dāwed dasgīraO Friends, / Benyāmīn is the leader Pīr Mūsī oversees the register / Dāwūd is the intercessor (the succor, the savior).</blockquote>Three more of Soltān’s companions are invoked with regards to their mission. In fact, in the spiritual hierarchy of the Ahl-e Haqq, several individuals guide those who are making their way toward the spiritual Ruler, the manifestation of spiritual enlightenment and divine Truth. These include the Dalīl, who guides the soul, and the Pīr, who intercedes and establishes a link between the soul and the Divine.<blockquote>Dowr-e yārāna Haqq o Haqq / Rahmat wārāna Haqq o HaqqThis is the reign of God’s friends / The rain of goodness showers upon God’s friends.</blockquote>The “reign of God’s friends” can have several meanings, including a period in which divine grace showers down upon God’s friends—those who genuinely love Him—like a gentle, restorative rain shower (wārān).

Hymns

Kākā Redā was one of the close companions of Shāh Khoshīn, who was among the 11th century theophanies according to the Ahl-e Haqq. It is due to Shāh Khoshīn that the tanbur became the choice instrument for expressing spiritual love. The spare structure and slow tempo of the mode make it difficult to perform. There is immense delicacy in Ostad’s highly-individualized ornamentation. The language of his music is transcendent, a supplication addressed to the Beloved, an intimate conversation tinged with sweet gentleness and closeness, yet containing within it strong energy and high tension.Seyd Khāmūsh, who occupied the rank of an archangel, lived around the 15th century. His name has been attributed to a mode presenting certain analogies to Kākā Redāī, but the mystery as to its precise author remains. In general, it’s difficult to know the extent to which tunes named after holy figures were actually part of their personal creation or a tribute to them. Whatever the case may be, their music is present in the history of the Ahl-e Haqq, with nostalgia, lamentations, and the never-ending quest for the Beloved as recurring themes throughout.

Kākā Redāī followed by the Saharī Suite of Seyd Khāmūsh

The literal meaning of shān jonbān[ak] is “to move one’s shoulders.” Ostad Elahi used to say that if one could not move one’s shoulders according to the movements suggested by this dance, then one would never be able to play it properly. What’s more, he was the only person able to reproduce the rhythm to perfection on his instrument, thereby imparting momentum to a whole assembly.The scansion of the rhythm here carries listeners to new heights. The dance-like quality of the music is present throughout the work in spite of certain more nostalgic passages and those that are simply played more slowly. Ostad takes passages from several other themes, reshaping them as he likes on new rhythms. He even goes so far as to strip down the theme with a pizzicato by the left hand, before the twirl and the dance resume more beautifully.

Shān Jonbān[ak]

This ancient tune from pre-Islamic times enables us to understand the amazing powers of expression reached in a tessitura as concise as a tone and a half. Indeed, the suite of three sustained semitones acting as an ostinato that this short piece gradually builds generates a tension that is truly unheard of. The apparent lack of movement is the pretext for Ostad to install the dynamics of his music, using changing rhythms and a profusion of subtle embellishments that endow each note with unusual depth and relief. The listener is not accustomed to this, but anyone who is willing to let oneself be guided by the sounds will find they touch both mind and soul alike. It is as though a mere few notes hold both a time and a place immemorial condensed within them. The tension is somewhat relieved when a diminished fourth is reached, then right at the end of the piece, when the perfect fourth bursts through to introduce the following key, the space opens up as though suddenly filled with light.

Nakīsā and Bārbad are two characters from Ancient Persia, both famous court musicians for the Sassanid King Khosrow Parvīz in the early years of the 7th century. In Kurdish gnosis, they are thought to be linked by an absolute, unfailing spiritual love, similar to the one that united Joseph and Jacob or Jesus Christ and John the Baptist. In spite of having to undergo the trials of separation, they overcame all the obstacles before them and were finally reunited. Ostad Elahi was fond of honoring their memory and would often say their names aloud when he included their melody in the middle of an improvised passage.As with all the melodies in the Tarz mode, the Nakīsā and Bārbad suite is weighted with nostalgic longing, for these ancient tunes are charged with the feelings and emotions of entire generations of mystics who sacrificed themselves along the path to God. In spite of its apparent simplicity, this composition is quite difficult to play, for if everything is not absolutely right (such as the harmony and rhythm), the desired effect will not be obtained. The Tarz mode requires subtlety and interiority; if performed as such, it will touch the innermost core of the listener.

Nakīsā and Bārbad Suite

CD 1

Sheykh Amīrī is a generic term designating a type of melody and a specific way of tuning the tanbur in fourths, known as kūk-e Sheykh Amīrī. The basic melody dates back to the time of Sheykh Amīr, an 18th century Kurdish mystic who was a simple, illiterate shepherd. As a result of a sudden illumination and spiritual awakening, he was inspired with numerous symbolic poems replete with mystical and philosophical teachings.Ever since Sheykh Amīr, this melody has become the archetypal musical appeal to the Beloved in the context of this mystical tradition. It is often sung at the beginning of a religious meeting to prepare the adherents to detach themselves from their worldly preoccupations and to meditate on their true origins and the homeland from which they’ve been separated. It is usually followed by other more lively pieces with a stronger rhythm.Ostad Elahi’s repertoire contains seventeen variations of the melody, some of which go under the title of Sheykh Amīrī followed by a person’s name, for each one is attributed to its composer; others are designed to pay tribute to a spiritual personality (e.g., Sheykh Amīrī-e Hādj Nemat, Sheykh Amīrī-e Shāh Hayāsī); still others go under the title of Sheykh Amīrī followed by the name of the region where they’re traditionally played (e.g., Sheykh Amīrī-e Gūrān (from the Gūrān area), Sheykh Amīrī-e atrāf-e Sahne (from the Sahne area, with its three variants)). The least complex of these different versions is that of Sheykh Amīr himself, and the most elaborate that of Ostad Elahi.The suite featured on the present CD comprises all the versions of Sheykh Amīrī, one of the most captivating and meditativepiecesin the Ostad Elahi’s whole Ostad Elahi’s repertoire. Each of the seventeen melodies expresses a close personal relationship with the Beloved, embellished, ornamented, and integrated into a varied yet homogenous whole. The introduction, soft but dense, immediately demonstrates the exceptional talent and finesse of Ostad.The Sheykh Amīrī piece is inherently simple but difficult to execute. In general, the song provides the matrix that enables the basic structure of the melody to be preserved while offering infinite possibilities for variation. In the case of Sheykh Amīrī, however, the two do not coincide and matching song to the tanbur is indeed a perilous exercise. To add to this difficulty, Ostad Elahi’s personal style consists of rich and subtle ornamentation, using shors1, vibrations, vibratos, and the plucking of strings, all of which require a technique that demands extreme dexterity.It should not be forgotten that the tanbur uses a regular chromatic scale, and dividing the octave into twelve semitones of equal value means any melody can be played on any basic note, thereby offering an infinite number of combinations. The numerous passages occur in what seems like a random order, though it is in fact predetermined, always producing a feeling of meditation even in passages where the rhythm is tenser and less stable, especially toward the end of the piece with the passage of a perfect fifth to an augmented fifth. But calm returns with Ostad’s version. In spite of its density, this part gives a profound impression of deep peace; from an uninterrupted flow of music and a cascade of notes somehow emerges a feeling of serenity and gentle melancholy tinged with sweetness, one of the paradoxes of Ostad’s style.<ol class="number"><li value=1>The shor is a roll, a tremolo typical of the Kurdish tanbur style. Ostad Elahi perfected a technique in which each finger was used autonomously, quite distinct from the others. The most frequently occurring shor consists of striking the string with the fleshy part of the fingertips of the right hand, one finger after the other, at a constant speed so as to produce a continuo.</li></ol>

A series of three hymns devoted to Dāwūd (Dāwed in Kurdish), the manifestation of Raphael, the archangel of divine clemency and one of Soltān’s close companions.1 Ostad Elahi was especially fond of Dāwūd, about whom he would say: “I rejoice when Dāwūd’s name is invoked, for he is the embodiment of goodness. He has been granted permanent permission to intervene and doesn’t need to make a special request to Soltān for each individual case. Dāwūd has never been observed to become angry with anyone, for he is pure goodness and kindness from head to toe.”2 Similarly, Ostad states: “There are a few people whose names bring sheer pleasure to my ears: Christ, for his goodness toward all living beings . . . Dāwūd, the personification of mercy, who is always present, ready to help anyone in need.”3 Ostad sings three songs one after the other, beginning with the slowest and proceeding to the most rapid, as though drawing the participants into this invocation to Dāwūd.1. Hey Dāwed (slow)<blockquote>Hey Dāwed, gīān Dāwed O Dāwūd, life Dāwūd</blockquote>This first appeal, charged with longing, is very rich harmonically, with numerous variations and modulations. The slow tempo makes it difficult to perform. Ostad rarely played as long as he did on this occasion. Some of those close to him comprise the assembly around him, and spontaneously take up the refrains when moved by the emotions of the supplication. The supplication closes with a passage on the tanbur recalling the introduction.2. Hey Dāwed (faster)The piece begins in an almost relaxed manner, but gradually draws the listener along through its uninterrupted, insistent rhythm, offering an identical drone throughout to form an immense symbiosis between the low notes of the chant and the high ones of the chorus.3. Hey Dāwed (fast)<blockquote>Hey Dāwed, Haqq gīān Dāwed / Dīn Dāwed, īmān Dāwed O Dāwūd, Haqq, life, Dāwūd / Religion, Dāwūd, faith, Dāwūd</blockquote>This very old hymn was recorded informally in the intimate context of a family gathering. No other musician or professional singer was present, simply a few people whose fervor gives the chorus its special quality. In spite of the rather rudimentary conditions of these recordings with a single microphone positioned haphazardly, a natural balance has been achieved between the chanting, the voices, and the instrument.<ol class="number"><li value=1>Soltān Sahāk (or Eshāq), founder of the mystical order of the Ahl-e Haqq, lived in the 14th century.</li><li value=2>Āsār ol-Haqq, vol. 1, sayings 1442, 1441.</li><li value=3>Ibid., saying 1355.</li></ol>

Hey Dāwed Hymns

This track marks a pinnacle in the art of improvisation, a kind of journey of initiation where several tunes are evoked, refreshed, placed alongside each other, ornamented, and rendered more complex, both through changes of rhythm and the counter-melody on the low register string. Ostad enjoys making them talk, sing, and laugh all at once in the most disconcertingly natural way. He seems to be setting out on an adventure without any predetermined musical schema; he plucks whatever comes his way and uses it each time as the starting point for a new creation, only more complex and more finely wrought. He shapes the melodies at will, like clay softened in his hands, much like his instrument, which also becomes wax under his touch. Technical difficulties vanish, as in the two-chord passage using the Farangī chord, where improvisation is notoriously hard. Whereas each melody he alludes to is normally presented in a single block, with any omission likely to cause the whole thing to collapse, Ostad takes the liberty of moving things around, taking things out here and there and putting them elsewhere, perhaps even a second time, without ever altering the inner cohesion and harmony of the whole.Throughout the piece, the binary and tertiary rhythms alternate smoothly. A melody usually expressed in binary rhythm makes a foray into a ternary section before completing its transformation into a new motif altogether. Most unusually, a daf (frame drum) accompanies the tanbur here. In fact, in spite of its simplicity, the tanbur is a complete instrument in itself; the right hand marks the rhythm very clearly as well as all the desired variants, such that no other instrument is needed. This is the first recording among all the releases of Ostad Elahi on the tanbur where he has a percussion accompaniment, but its support is extremely sober and does not seek the limelight. The percussionist here is Hādj Amīn, Ostad Elahi’s eldest son. As well as being an outstanding daf player, Hādj Amīn was also an exceptional tanbur player and a connoisseur of the Kurdish dance repertoire.

Improvisation in Bābā Jalīlī in Fourths Followed by the Suite Zang-e Shotorī in Seconds

Destinations

Ostad Elahi was also proficient on the Kurdish 

, a large frame drum struck by the hand, which he played in his own special way. Ostad was seldom accompanied by the daf when he would play. The audio clips below present a few rare instances of such an accompaniment.

Ostad Elahi was also proficient on the Kurdish daf, a large frame drum struck by the hand, which he played in his own special way. Ostad was seldom accompanied by the daf when he would play. The audio clips below present a few rare instances of such an accompaniment.

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 681