Farangī (“Frank” or “European”) here means foreign. One speaks of Farangī tuning (kūk-e farangī) when the tanbur is tuned in seconds instead of the usual fourths, producing an unusual aura and an ethereal atmosphere. Consequently, this tune suggests intriguing, strange, and marvelous things from the spiritual world.Rarely found among oriental lutes belonging to the same family as the tanbur, this tuning was introduced to the tanbur by Ostad. With the help of the thumb playing the low string, it made possible numerous modal refinements. Integrating some patterns of the Jelo Shāhī melody, Ostad returns to the original rhythm and theme, without breaking the overall continuity.

Farangī

Rostam was a legendary Iranian hero whose story is recounted in the famous Book of Kings by the Persian poet Ferdowsī (932-1020). As guardian of the Throne and Crown, Rostam is a fearless warrior who derives his incredible physical strength from his unwavering faith in God. As he sets out to rescue his king, whose excessive pride has led him to conquer the lands of giant demons, Rostam must undergo seven (haft) great ordeals (khān) in his arduous journey. Used metaphorically, the expression “Haft Khān-e Rostam” (the seven ordeals of Rostam) refers to the successive ordeals one must undergo in order to reach a particular goal.The Haft Khān-e Rostam suite is inspired by this story and implies the inner progression of someone confronted with a succession of obstacles separating him from his divine King, the Beloved. Ostad Elahi frequently incorporates narrative references in his music as a foundation to help the audience grasp the spiritual levels and stages of the metaphysical world, inviting them to explore these realms. The "Seven Trials" (Haft Khān) may also be a reference to the Seven Valleys of Love by Attār, the 12th-century Persian poet and mystic: the Valley of the Quest, the Valley of Love, the Valley of Knowledge, the Valley of Detachment, the Valley of Unity, the Valley of Wonderment, and the Valley of Poverty and Annihilation in God (Fanā fil-Lāh). In the course of the suite, each of these seven sequences (called Khān-e 1, Khān-e 2, etc.) appears, sometimes very briefly, through a rigorous and “classical” musical structure (first theme, second theme, development, return to initial theme).The tanbur is tuned in a rather low pitch, in fifths instead of the usual fourths. The overall atmosphere is fairly solemn before it gradually livens up in higher registers through the use of the rolling shor, a technique typical of Ostad Elahi’s art.1 Chromaticism, the alteration of notes played on the low string, and the succession of fifths on syncopated or regular rhythms depict the inner struggle that takes place, eventually resolving into the ecstasy of the final encounter.a. Khān-e 1 Extreme sobriety permeates the entire piece, which remains within a single semitone; an intensified effect results when a whole tone appears.b. Khān-e 2 A higher note provides a hint of freshness and clarity; a counterpoint appears on the low string. A new theme then arises in a short and luminous mode close to the major mode.c. Khān-e 3 Ostad lingers on one note. Then, a succession of fifths and the chromaticism of the melody, along with its inexorable rhythm, urge the listener to carry on.d. Khān-e 4 The invariable rhythm expresses a kind of obstinacy.e. Khān-e 5 An unprecedented note located beyond the fifth transforms the relations between the elements and introduces an unexpected mode.f. Khān-e 6 A higher register and the emergence of a bright pattern enhance the nobility of the whole sequence.g. Khān-e 7 Like a leitmotif, the chromatic fifths are repeated; the playing reaches the heights of virtuosity.<ol class="number"><li value=1>Ostad created several kinds of shors. The most frequent consists of successively striking the strings with the fingertips of the right hand (beginning with the thumb and proceeding to the little finger.) The repetition of this gesture at a constant speed produces a continuous rolling sound.</li></ol>

Haft Khān-e Rostam Suite

In this improvisation, Ostad Elahi directly ties the present suite—comprised of eight distinct parts—to the previous one with a linking passage. Tarz is a generic term that means “manner” or “rule”, but it also has a more specific musical meaning, that of a mode.At the beginning of its quest for the Divine, the soul becomes conscious of its neglect and mistakes and thus of the gulf separating it from the Beloved. Although the pain of this awakening is at times quite deep, it purifies the heart and causes the blossoming of virtues that will prove indispensable on its spiritual path. It is this very quest that is evoked with great intensity in this suite, which is less epic but more internalized than the preceding one.a. Tarz-e Jafarīb. Tarz-e Khān Bābā Khānc. Tarz-e Leylī o Majnūn This sequence refers to the pure love—first passionate and then sublimated—of Leylī and Majnūn, whose story is recognized as a parable of mystical love as recounted by the Persian poet Nezāmī (1140-1209).d. Tarz-e Mūye “Mūye” means lamentation.e. Tarz-e Arke Bāzī An ancient courtly melody transformed into the tanbur repertoire.f. Tarz-e Marhūm-e Seyd Brāka (Tarz-e Sūz o Godāz) This piece is dedicated to Seyd Brāka, a 19th century saint whose generosity and chivalry were especially praised by Ostad. Quite lyrical, it is rendered as a song. “Sūz” here means an inner burning, the torment of one separated from the Beloved, a suffering that awakens and purifies the soul. “Godāz” signifies that this burning is so intense that one’s state can be likened to that of molten metal.g. Tarz-e Teymūrī The final sequence is dedicated to Teymūr, a great saint martyred in Kermānshāh in 1865.

Tarz Suite (1-8)

Ostad Elahi considered all divine messengers as links in a single chain originating from God. He often invoked their names in his prayers and paid tribute to them in certain vocal or instrumental pieces. He had a special affinity for Jesus and Dāwūd because of their sheer kindness and mercy. Here, he sings their praise in the form of poems. Two of them, the first and the last, were written by his father, Hādj Nemat.Ostad Elahi often played the tanbur in the intimate setting of his family circle, wherein others would participate by chanting repeated refrains of the melodies.a. Wa Nokht-e Kalām Dīdadār-e shūn<blockquote>Wa nokht-e kalām dīdadār-e shūn Yārān shokor Mowlāmān hāt Beshnāsān Mowlām āmā dūnādūn Yārān shokor Mowlāmān hātAs foretold by the prophecies, Our Lord has come O friends, let us praise Him! Recognize the Lord in His Manifestation O friends, let us praise Him!</blockquote>b. Zāt-e Yār Dāwed Hāzeran va Jam<blockquote>Zāt-e yār Dāwed hāzeran va jam Khosh va hāl kasī dīdanesh va tchamThe essence of Dāwūd is present in the gathering How fortunate is he who beholds it with his eyes</blockquote>c. Dam Dam-e Isā Rūhollāh Nāman<blockquote>Dam dam-e Isā Rūhollāh nāman Avval Jebrāīl ākher Benyāman Benyām parwāna khāwandkār shaman Sham showq-e jamāl Mowlāy MojremanThe breath is the breath of Jesus, whose name is the Spirit of God At first Gabriel and in the end Benyāmīn He is the butterfly and God the candle The candle reflects the splendorous beauty of Mojrem’s Lord1</blockquote><ol class="number"><li value=1>“Mojrem” was one of Hādj Nemat’s pen names.</li></ol>

Songs

This eight-part suite relates to Nezāmī’s tragic story, the impossible love of Farhād, the Kurd, for Shīrīn, the Armenian princess, at the time of the Sassanid king, Khosrow Parvīz. Transposed to a spiritual level, the theme is expressed through sober and nostalgic melodies.a. Shīrīn Mayā Khālb. Lāwe Lāwe This ode, which expresses the suffering caused by the absence of the Beloved, is by Hādj Nemat.c. Gharībī This theme evokes the feeling of nostalgia and loneliness caused by the soul’s exile in the body.d. Gel wa Dare This term suggests a departure from and return to the origin, a likely symbol of the soul returning to the Creator after having wandered on earth. The theme is more dynamic, accompanied at times by a counterpoint.e. Seyd Khāmūsh’s Saharī Seyd Khāmūsh was a 15th century mystic, and Saharī refers to a melodic type, which he used to play in his own way. This is one of those pieces that was known only to Ostad, and while it is not usually included in this suite, he added it in this particular improvisation.f. Sanam Hāy Sanam This melody presents the devotion of a pious person to his Beloved.g. Tārī Hey Tārīh. Shīrīn Khāwar Based on an ancient Persian folk song, the semitones in this melody evoke a more nostalgic minor mode. Many notes are played with the left hand, producing melancholic overtones.

Shāh Hoseynī Suite (Part Two)

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.

Wa nokht-e kalām dīdadār-e shūn

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Wa nokht-e kalām dīdadār-e shūn Vocal

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Renditions of Wa nokht-e kalām dīdadār-e shūn

More Hymns on same Album

Wa nokht-e kalām dīdadār-e shūn