Moqaddameh

Saharī

Bāzgasht be Moqaddameh

Gol wa Khār

Shīrīna Leylāna dar Gol wa Khār

Amāna yār dar Gol wa Khār

Forud be Gol wa Khār

Tchapī dar Saharī

Forud be Saharī

This suite, which literally means “Before the King,” evokes the imperial rites of ancient Persia transposed to the spiritual level. In anticipation of the King’s arrival, we witness the preparations for His coming, which eventually culminate in the ecstasy of His arrival. The names of God (Ali, Haqq, Hū, etc.) and the seven archangels of the tradition (Benyāmīn, Dāwūd, Pīr Mūsī, Mostafā, Yādegār, Shāh Ebrāhīm, Pīr Razbār) are chanted during the piece.<blockquote>a) Slow Khān Amīrī (Melody of Khāns and Emirs) b) Rapid Khān Amīrī (Melody of Khāns and Emirs) c) Gardūne (The Gathering) d) Jelo Shāhī (Greeting the King) e) Sawār Sawār (Horsemen, Horsemen) f) Jang Ārā (Ornaments of War) g) Mobārak Bādā (Blessed be All) h) Sepā (Three Dance Steps) i) Sejārān (Three Dance Steps)</blockquote>

Jelo Shāhī Suite

This ancient melody is dedicated to Dāwūd, the manifestation of the archangel Raphael. It was also called “Ney Dāwūd,” a likely allusion to the flute (ney) of the prophet David (Dāwūd).<blockquote>a) Mobārak Bādā1 b) Samā (Spiritual Concert) c) Slow Hey Dāwed (O Dāwūd) d) Rapid Hey Dāwed (O Dāwūd)</blockquote><ol class="number"><li value=1>Ostad Elahi was inspired with this melody while on pilgrimage to the shrine of Ali.</li></ol>

Hey Dāwed Suite and Hymns

a. Saharī Saharī (“of the dawn”) was played at dawn to awaken dervishes for prayer. Unfortunately, the recording of this improvisation was interrupted in the midst of its development.b. Gol va Khār This air evokes the alternating states of sadness and joy of the performer.

Saharī Suite

The name of this air evokes the chant (Khānī) of the starling (sār); it may also be a reference to the saint (Sārū Khān) who composed it. The verses sung here are from a prayer attributed to Imam Ali. Originally in Arabic, Ostad translated them into Persian.<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 (Song of the Starling)

The Celestial Music of Ostad Elahi

Tanbur

Instrumental

Fourths (Sheykh Amīrī)

This piece starts with an improvisation on the Sārū Khānī Suite, but in a special tonality due to the tuning of the instrument in fifths instead of the usual fourths, which makes it difficult to perform. This passage is followed by a supplication in the Bābā Jalīlī mode, a favorite of Ostad Elahi. Here, Ostad exceptionally sings the first verses of a poem in Kurdish by Sheykh Amīr.1<blockquote>Hey Dīn, Ali, Ali, yā Ali Delay gonāhkār yā Mowlām, yā Mowlām, yā Mowlām Delay zabūnbakht, Ali Ali Ali Āy cha azal gonāhkār, yā Ali Ar cha rūy azal Mowlā, Mowlām Ali, ay Djānam, ay Dīnem ay, ay Djānam, ay Ali Mowyāī borda-bār, hey Mowlām, hey Mowlām Ali, Ali pey chīsh makaftī, hey Mowlām amān, hey Ali, Ali Ali Dūr tcha qāpī yār, hey Dīnem, Ali Djān, Ali DjānO sinner heart, how weak and destitute Sinner since the dawn of creation If only you had shown more patience at the outset! How you have lacked respect and patience, What have you done to distance yourself from the divine abode?</blockquote>Ali, Mowlām (my Lord), and Djānam (my Beloved) are all different ways of invoking God. The invocation (zekr) that prolongs and completes this prayer was inspired to Ostad in the 1940s. It reminds the soul that everything is in the hands of its Beloved, and that He alone can solve all problems.<blockquote>Ali āmān yā Ali Dakhīlem wa to Ali Moshkelgoshā-ī Ali Hall-e moshkel-ī AliAli, help, O Ali You are my support, Ali You alone can unravel difficulties, Ali You alone can solve difficulties, Ali</blockquote><ol class="number"><li value=1>Sheykh Amīr was an 18th century Kurdish mystic. Following a sudden spiritual awakening, this illiterate shepherd composed numerous poems with deep spiritual meaning and rich symbolic imagery.</li></ol>

Sārū Khānī Suite (Monājāt)

This zekr by Ostad was also composed in the forties and evokes two spiritual personalities, Ali and Soltān, who are considered to be theophanies:<blockquote>Har va aw Soltān, Har va aw Soltān / wa pardey nūran Mowlāmān wey dowr / mowlāmān wey dowr / sāheb zehūran (Haqq) sāheb zehūranSoltān, O Soltān, Behind the veils of Light Lord of this age, Our Lord The Master of Time, The Manifestation of the Time</blockquote>Soltān is also a way of invoking the Divine, as are Haqq (Truth) and Hū (Him).

Har va Aw Soltān

Shāh Khoshīn was a great 11th century mystic who lived in Lorestān. It is reported that he was the first to introduce zekr-e jalī in spiritual assemblies, accompanying it with chants and musical instruments, including the tanbur. The suite that is performed here differs from other versions of Shāh Khoshīnī and is imbued with a majestic and somewhat strange kind of beauty.1 The richness of the sound expresses the sort of fervor that never lets the soul rest, even during the most peaceful segments of the piece, enjoining it to free itself from the grip of materiality.<ol class="number"><li value=1>See CD, Mystical Orison, Le Chant du Monde/Harmonia Mundi, 2000; republished 2004.</li></ol>

Shāh Khoshīnī Suite

This piece was recorded in Ostad Elahi’s home in Tehran on the occasion of a visit by a group of Kurdish devotees from his native region in western Iran. The atmosphere of the gathering was so warm and spiritual that Ostad played the tanbur for a long time, which was quite unusual. This track reproduces part of that session.The piece starts with a brilliant introduction of the Saharī Suite, a melody that used to be played at dawn to awaken dervishes and stir the soul. What makes this introduction remarkable is that it is played with a tuning in seconds instead of the usual fourths, which requires special skill and casts the melody in an unusual light.The first voice that appears is that of a singer (kalāmkhān) who was renowned for the quality of his Saharī interpretation, as well as his faith, fervor, and abnegation. Ostad Elahi pays tribute to his fervor by not only accompanying him on the tanbur, but also by joining him in singing. This duet of master and student is highly emotional and is further intensified when Ostad begins to sing an octave lower, invoking the Divine in various ways (Ali Hū, Mowlām Hū, Haqq Hū, Ali Ali jān, Ali Mowlām Hū, Ali Hū āmān) before carrying the whole gathering along into an improvised dance melody.The poem that is sung was composed by Malak Jān Nematī, Ostad Elahi’s younger sister, who was a poet of great sensitivity and an accomplished musician.1<blockquote>Qorbān zātet bām barq-e balāya Khosh va hāl kasī, khās mobtalāya Khot Haqq, zātet Haqq, maqāmet Haqqa Esmet azama, zātet motlaqaMay I be sacrificed for Your essence, which resembles mighty lightning Blessed are those who are struck by this lightning You are Haqq, Your essence is Haqq, Your rank is Haqq Your name is God’s name in majesty, Your essence is absolute.</blockquote><ol class="number"><li value=1>See Leili Anvar, Malak Jan Nemati (New York: Arpeggio Press, 2012).</li></ol>

Saharī Suite in the Farangī Tune

Following the previous piece, this melody is also played with a tuning in seconds.

Improvisation in the Khān Amīrī Suite

This suite of zekrs was recorded in the intimacy of Ostad’s home, with close family and friends spontaneously taking up the refrains of the melodies in unison. The first zekr dates back to a time before Hādj Nemat, Ostad Elahi’s father.1<blockquote>a) Dūs bejan bejan barza meli Jam-e rāsāna yār na deliO friend, play, play for the great man This is the gathering of the Righteous, the Beloved is among themb) Sāheb tūl-e zar Dāwed Zāmen-e āhū bar DāwedMaster with the golden stick, Dāwūd Protector of the fawn, Dāwūd</blockquote>The golden stick likely symbolizes the mission of spiritual guidance entrusted to Dāwūd, a manifestation of Raphael, the archangel of divine clemency.<blockquote>c) Jam neyān dūsān aw yāna Haqq shama mīrdān parwānaFriends have convened the gathering in this house God is the candle; men (companions) the butterflies</blockquote>This zekr was composed by Hādj Nemat shortly after his spiritual illumination around 1900.<ol class="number"><li value=1>See <a href="https://www.hadjnemat.com">www.hadjnemat.com</a></li></ol>

Suite of Zekrs

This piece unfolds as a kind of dialogue between two spiritual lovers, interpreted first in the Qatār mode.1 Qatār is an important Kurdish mode that includes elements from Persian music, rendered here in a profound, meditative, and essentially non-measured way. The tanbur is played like a setār, the strings plucked with the forefinger of the right hand rather than struck with all fingers, as is usually done. Despite these technical restrictions, Ostad manages to perform an extremely rich piece conveying calm, strength, and dignity. The melodic line depends on a delicate balance, and the fingers striking the sounding board give an impression of great determination.This passage is followed by improvisations in the Saharī mode (see track 4). The dialogue between the lovers continues; they respond to each other like two birds at the break of dawn, “perched” on two octaves at the top and bottom of the tanbur’s neck. They then fly away together, united in the consuming swirl of their love.The dance themes that conclude this piece are an invitation to allow oneself to be carried away by this impulse of pure love and to discover universes as varied as they are unexpected: in the midst of an exhilarating dance, Ostad suddenly changes the tuning of his instrument from fourths to seconds, casting the atmosphere in a new light.<ol class="number"><li value=1>See CD, Cascade, Le Chant du Monde/Harmonia Mundi, 2002; republished 2004.</li></ol>

Qatār followed by Saharī

Awakening

 Seconds (Farangī)

sahari

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

Setār-e Ketābi

Fifths (Tarz)

Tanbur Panj Sīmī

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.

Tarz

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>

Sheykh Amīrī Suite

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.

Bāzgasht be Moqaddameh

Details

Renditions of Bāzgasht be Moqaddameh

More of Saharī on same Album