Shāh Hoseynī

Bālā dastān

Zīr-e Dastān

Do Bālā

Karīm Khānī

Chūpānī

Bārgā Bārgā (Bārīā Bārīā, Royal Court)

Shīrīn Mayā Khāl

Lāwe Lāwe

Gharībī

Gel wa Dare

Saharī Seyd Khāmūsh

Sanam hāy Sanam

Tārī Tārī

Shīrīn Khāwar

Shīrīn Farhād

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.

Hal Parka

The Paths of Divine Love

Tanbur

Instrumental

Fourths (Sheykh Amīrī)

shah-hoseyni

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.

Shīrīn Khāwar

Details

Renditions of Shīrīn Khāwar

More of Shāh Hoseynī on same Album