A few steps on the “Road to Bach”

1 October 2021 – 12:59 pm Posted in Criticism, Iranian Classical Music, Western Classical Music

Introduction

The world of music has unparalleled respect for Bach. Bach is considered the spiritual father of classical music; Bach’s great position is due not only to his great achievements in the fields of harmony, counterpoint, and compositional sciences but also to his respect for and adherence to the artistic principles of classical music. In the history of classical music, it is recorded that Bach walked about fifty kilometers to listen to the music played by the great German organist Dieterich Buxtehude, and this is the path that every idealistic classical music student should walk.

“Road to Bach” is just as instructive and admirable in terms of considering theoretical issues of music. Unlike many composers of the early twentieth century, whose “corrupt successors” unwantedly caused a crisis in classical music, Bach had influential successors in theoretical matters.

We know that in Bach’s time there was no harmonic analysis as there is today, and Bach’s main reference for the direction of the chords was only his unique hearing sense.

Recently, the prominent Japanese pianist, Kotaro Fukuma, commissioned a young Iranian composer Farhad Poupel, to write a piece with the theme of Bach. In this project called “Road to Bach”, the young Iranian composer has created a piece called “Road to Bach” which is reminiscent of Bach’s method in composing. In fact, drawing on Bach’s approach to harmony (i.e., paying attention to the aesthetics of sounds and not just studying the works of the past), Poupel has tried to find a way to compose on the basis of harmonic motion. Although this harmonic progression does not completely follow the traditional harmonic progression, it has clearly a strong harmonic movement.

The score of the piece is published by Musepress in Japan

Characteristics of “Road to Bach”
1- Extensive Chromatism: At the beginning of this piece, a monophonic theme is first introduced in the Persian mode, “Charghaah”, and the theme is then expanded; however, the composer avoids being in the mode completely by using extensive chromaticism

2- A piano in the role of two pianos: There are parts in this piece where the musician has to make two separate sonorities from the piano*. The most important challenge is that these parts are placed between the pianists’ hands and the pianist cannot easily prepare one hand to perform a specific sonority, and it is necessary to carefully maintain the priority of the turbulent melodic line between difficult chords and passages.

3- Different but progressive harmony: Perhaps three general parts can be identified in this work: the first part (from the beginning of the piece to bar no. 39) can be described as the “dark part”, the second part (from bar no. 40 to 70) “The light part” and the third part (from the bar no. of 71 to the end of the piece) “Gray part “. In the first part, which is inspired by the Persian mode, Chahrgaah, special and unfamiliar chords are seen compared to the tonal triads, and naturally, the connection of the chords is more vague and weak. In the second part, in which the “major” mode is dominant, the chords are closer to the traditional, tonal harmony and the connection of the chords is clearer. In the third part, the conflict between the two themes of “major” and “Chahargah ” causes original harmonic movement that eventually ends in Major chords and a bright atmosphere. Perhaps the Coda of this work can be considered the most brilliant part of this music in terms of harmony, because the composer, in a creative combination, tries to dissolve the dissonant chords outside the normal tonal harmonies in the consonant, triadic chords.

4- Piano techniques: Farhad Poupel, who plays the piano himself, has paid special attention to piano techniques and their possibilities; despite all the technical difficulties, this piece is completely pianistic and applicable for professionals and virtuoso pianists. All the guides on the score provide the path to play the piece as the composer wants. For example, at the end of the piece, the composer wants the two sets of simple chords and lunato (meaning “far away”) to be performed as if they were two separate sounds. Also, in the sections that are mentioned separately for the pianist, all the situations are well coordinated with the possibilities of this instrument.

5- Form: This work begins with the introduction of a theme in the “Chahargah” mode and from bar no. 20, the development of this theme starts and continues until the second part, which is the beginning of the Major section in the bar no. 40. In this section, comes a theme that Bach has used. In the third part, we hear the transformation of the second theme in the first theme with the alteration of the first theme, which indicates the Coda of this work.

* Since Farhad Popel wrote this piece for Kotaro Fukuma, a prominent Japanese pianist, and was aware of his ability to perform a variety of colorings on this piece, these colorings were specifically written for the piano.

Art of Music Magazine

This entry was written by Sadjad Pourghanad
Tagged: Farhad Poupel, Kotaro Fukuma.

Transition to Enlightenment: Six Lectures on Mozart’s String Quartets (5)

The late 18th century was marked by profound societal changes across Europe, characterized by the rise of the bourgeoisie and the reshaping of musical patronage. Composers like Mozart responded to these shifts by adapting their compositional styles to align with the tastes and sensibilities of the emerging middle class. This article seeks to explore this phenomenon through an analysis of Mozart’s K. 499 quartet, also known as the “Hoffmeister” quartet, and his Prussian quartets, alongside the works of his contemporaries. By examining the evolution of the string quartet genre within the context of changing social structures and aesthetic preferences, this study aims to shed light on the dynamic relationship between music and society.

Nasser Masoudi: The Voice of Gilan and a Legacy of Iranian Music

In Iranian music, certain singers have become emblematic of their homelands through their distinctive voices. Historical figures such as Eghbal Sultan, who epitomized the grandeur of Azerbaijani music, and Taj Isfahani, who conveyed the authentic essence of Isfahan, serve as notable examples from the Qajar era. Nasser Masoudi occupies a similar position; his voice emerged as a symbol of Gilan while also achieving national acclaim. Before him, Master Ahmad Ashurpur represented Gilan’s musical landscape, but his extended residence outside Iran limited his continuous engagement in the music scene. In contrast, Masoudi’s consistent presence allowed him to introduce the voice of Gilan to audiences across Iran.

Latest posts

From Past Days…

Transition to Enlightenment: Six Lectures on Mozart’s String Quartets (3)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a musical prodigy of the Classical era, was deeply influenced by the intellectual currents of the Enlightenment. His exposure to Enlightenment ideas was multifaceted, shaped not only by the cultural milieu of his time but also by the relationships within his family and his own interactions with prominent figures of the Enlightenment. This exploration will delve into Mozart’s acquaintance with Enlightenment ideas through his father’s relationships and his own encounters with influential personalities of the era, including Christian Fürchtegott Gellert, Baron Melchior Grimm, Madame d’Epinay, and Joseph von Sonnenfels. Additionally, the essay will examine the impact of Joseph II’s reforms on Mozart’s life and artistic endeavors.

Last Year under the Light of Music

Almost three months into the new Iranian year (starting March 21), it is still not too late to have a look at the last year and the challenges that the musicians faced. The following article was published on the first day of the New Year in the Persian edition of the HarmonyTalk journal.

Ashoura Opera

Ashura Opera was composed by Behzad Abdi, the Iranian composer, in 2008 based on librettos compiled by Behrouz Gharib. The main source for the libretto is poems by Mohtasham Kashani, a sixteenth century Iranian poet.

Ahmad Pejman Passed Away!

Composer and music teacher Ahmad Pejman (1935–2025) passed away on August 29 in Los Angeles, USA, after several weeks of illness. His most recent symphonic work performed in Iran was Land of the Brave (“Sarzameen-e Delavaran”), which was staged in 2017 with the Tehran Symphony Orchestra. According to the family’s decision, his body will be laid to rest in the United States.

Gholam Reza Khan Minbashian: a pioneer in Iranian music (I)

Gholam Reza Khan Minbashian, a.k.a Salar-Mo’azez, was a pioneer in several domains in the history of the Iranian music. He is recognized as the first Iranian musician who was educated in classical music. He is also the first Iranian the score of whose works were published in Europe. He is the first Iranian to have launched courses on Western classical music and was also the first Iranian teacher of classical music. Moreover, he is the first founder of a string orchestra in Iran, the first author of the Iranian Radif which was available in oral form. Minbashian is also the first Iranian who studied music in Europe.

Prominent Iranian Musicologist Passes Away in Vienna

Khosrow Djafarzadeh, musicologist and architect, who was also one of the main authors of HarmonyTalk journal passed away on 15 July 2019.

Ali Rahbari & Recording Iranian Symphonic Compositions

In the few days prior to the New Iranian year (March 2015), the news of the revival of Tehran Symphony Orchestra under Ali (Alexander) Rahbari’s conductorship was announced. Ali Rahbari, who served as assistant to Herbert von Karajan in Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra at a very young age, was also invited to conduct Tehran Symphony Orchestra in 2005; however, the election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s government put an end to his collaboration with this Orchestra. Recently, it was announced that Rahbari is invited to conduct an orchestra in the U.S.

Principles of Violin Playing (I)

The present series of training articles, “Principles of Violin Playing”, seek to help students, to appropriately understand this field, by gradually introducing, categorizing, and teaching the myriad relevant points. One of the principles of playing violin, which must be always kept in mind, is that the selection of the most natural position for the body parts while playing is the best and most appropriate solution. As a matter of fact, any unnatural body part position which requires lots of energy or unusual stretching to maintain, is wrong.

“Symphonic Poems from Persia” Released in Germany

While the name “Persia” (Western historical name of Iran) has attracted tens of thousands of people from around the world to London’s British Museum to visit ancient Persian artifacts, the Nuremberg-based music company, Colosseum, invites Europeans to listen to eight masterpieces of Persian symphonic music.

A Look at Ali Tajvidi’s Manifold Musical Activities (II)

Tajvidi thought of studying harmony and orchestration with Houshang Ostvar (who was eight years younger than him) at a time when he had gained a reputation among musicians. His humbleness, making him willing to kneel before the scholars at any age and position, became the key to his scientific success. After this period, Tajvidi made some of his works polyphonic, the most prominent of which is “Burn” set to a poem by Abdullah Ulfat. However, his ability to make his works polyphonic was not so great to make him self-sufficient; so he depended on musicians such as Farhad Fakhreddini, Fereydoun Naseri, Kambiz Roshanravan, Fereydoun Shahbazian and Morteza Hananeh for the arrangement of his compositions.