Polyphony in Iranian Music (II)

1 December 2018 – 10:04 pm Posted in Articles' List, Criticism, General Information, Instrument & Playing, Iranian Classical Music

Written by Dr. M. Taghi Massoudieh (1927-1998)
Originally published in Honarhaye Ziba (Fine Arts) 3, 1998, 95-104.

Translated by Mahboube Khalvati

With regard to each polyphonic form, only one specific and distinguished example is analyzed. These polyphonic forms are as follows:

1. The coincidence of different voices due to an alternative performance by two singers.

The second singer starts singing avaz before the melody the first singer is singing is completed. This polyphonic form is especially observed in Ta’zieh as can be also seen in the notation.

Transcription No. 1

Transcription No. 1 is related to the Ta’zieh of the martyrdom of 72 Comrades which the author recorded on September 14, 1980 in Deh Abad in Meybod (around Yazd)[i].

Imam Hussein (PBUH)’s avaz (Transcription No. 1, b, staff 5) begins before Gabriel’s melody (a3, staff 4) is finished. Imam Hussein’s avaz then adopts a specific metre in line 6 onwards (Transcription No. 1). Specific metre of the Avaz includes irregular consequences of non-symmetrical metric-rhythmic units of 5+7+3+4/16. This consequence of non-symmetrical metric-rhythmic avaz carries relations to the howness of syllabic combination of the lyric and music. Syllabic combination of the lyric and music, has firstly facilitated the understanding of the text and strengthened its influence on the listener. The questionable or memory-evoking content of the second line of the poem (but, have you forgotten the promise of Alast Day?) obliges its melodic figures to end on E and bring about a status of uncertainty (Transcription No. 1, a2, a3, staffs 3 & 4).

Four repetitions of “Oh, Zulfiqar” in Imam Hussein’s avaz result in, firstly its belonging phrase (b1 staff 6) to consist of four changes in the brief figure (b1 staff 6) and secondly the types of this figure until the middle of phrase b1 (staff 6) to be explicitly separated by a quaver rest. As the next line begins with “legacy of Heydar” or “legacy of God”, a beginning figure is added to the two-type period b1 (staff 6) (b2 staff 7, b3 staff 8). The removal of the repeated melodic figure at the middle of period b3 (staff 8) is because “Oh, Zulfiqar” is performed only once at the last line. Consequently, the ascending movement of the melody at the beginning of Gabriel’s avaz (a staff 1) and specially the long G voice with numerous vibrations towards frequencies higher than F (a staff 1), justifies the belonging of cutting the beginning of the line to the one which includes addressing Imam Hussein (PBUH) as “apple of Zahra’s eyes”.

2. Imitation

Performing a single melody by several performers or singers alliteratively or consequently forms imitation. An example of it is well known in “Soltan Qeis” episode in Imam Hussein martyrdom Ta’zieh. Ta’zieh of Imam Hussein martyrdom was recorded in Studio No. 14 of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) on March 1, 1984. Sultan Qeis of India and his Minister were hunting on Ashura day when they were attacked by a lion. They immediately ask Imam Hussein to help them. Their request for help is, nevertheless, rejected as even though the lion is a wild animal, it should not be killed. The rejection of their request by Imam Hussein leads them to convert to Islam[ii].

Transcription No. 2

As mentioned earlier, the delay in alternative performance of the melody by Sultan Qeis, his Minister and Imam Hussein forms imitation or canon (Transcription No. 2, staff 2).

Sultan and his Minister’s final lines solely include the repetition of “Master Imam Hussein” (staff 2). The beginning of Imam’s line with “Oh, lion” coincides with this repetition and finally forms imitation or canon. Repetition of a single voice belongs to litany or “Oh, Hussein” prayer (Transcription 2, staff 2).

[i] Massoudieh, M. Taghi. Religious Music of Iran. Volume I, Ta’zieh Music. Soroush, Islamic Republic of Iran Publishing House, Tehran. Notation 152.

[ii] Massoudieh, M. Taghi. Ibid. p 75, p 97.

This entry was written by Mahboube Khalvati
Tagged: .

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.

Farhad Poupel: The Voice of the Shahnameh in the Orchestras Around the World

In an era when almost no trace of contemporary Iranian music can be heard in international concert halls, except (so-called!) avant-garde works that owe their existence solely to the fashionable slogans of the “pseudo-intellectual” crowd who have seized the already meager resources for performing classical music from the true artists of the field, the numerous performances of Farhad Poupel’s works shine as a ray of hope for lovers of sincere musical art. Without resorting to trendy slogans, he has kept the flame of Iranian classical music alive purely through the power of his artistry.

Latest posts

From Past Days…

Women and the Music Environment in Iran

The life territory of the female-male relations in the Iranian cultural context is basically a domestic territory and not a social-living one in the labour and leisure domains. To prove this, it only suffices to consider the Iranian men’s viewpoints about women. For the Iranian men, there are three perspectives regarding the women: mother, sister and wife. Mother represents the emotional territory; sister represents the logical territory at home while wife represents the sexual territory.

From the Last Instrumentalist to the First Composer (II)

Rouhollah Khaleghi was the master of composing beautiful melodies. He was the premier of the course of history which was first established by Ali Naghi Vaziri and which improved the Iranian music from simply a gathering music to the classical music of the country. First efforts to compose independent and instrumental music can be also traced in Khaleghi’s works.

The 4th Iranian Festival of Music Websites and Weblogs

The 4th Iranian Festival of Music Websites and Weblogs was held in Niavaran Cultural Center, in Tehran, Iran on Feb. 28th, 2015. The initiator of the festival was Sajjad Pourghanad, Iranian music writer, researcher, founder of the festival and Persian setar and tar player.

Non-profit “Microtona” Project Released

Microtona is a sixty-eight-page Booklet with personal comments by the contributing microtonal artists. The booklet also includes a DVD which consists of 8 original video tracks and 9 original audio tracks. The project is an international one featuring unpublished pieces by composers from Iran, Japan, U.S., France, Austria, Germany and Belgium.

Principles of Violin Playing (II)

Since for playing violin, it’s necessary that the playerâ€™s palms and fingers be inclined toward the fingerboard, therefore, the player, while bringing up his hand, should turn it toward the fingerboard.

Farshad Sanjari, Forgotten Iranian Conductor Met His Tragic End

Farshad Sanjari, one of the most renowned Iranian conductors in the 1970s in Iran died after fire broke in his apartment in Vienna on November 22, 2019. Farshad Sanjari was not involved in politics; however, he was one of the victims of the Iranian Islamic Revolution in 1979. After the victory of the Islamic Revolution, his name was never seen as the conductor of any programmes.

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.

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.

Interview with Farhad Poupel (II)

Fantasia on One Note was my first professional work for piano, which had its world premiere by the great pianist Peter Jablonski in Sweden, and it has been performed by various pianists in the UK, Germany, France, and the Czech Republic. The recording of this work has also been broadcast on the Dutch public radio, NPR Radio 4.

Iranian Fallacies – Composition and Arrangement

In the tradition of classical music, it is generally tried to use the same technical terms related to music in all countries. Even in the cultures in which native terms exist to refer to musical terms, usually the better known universal terms are employed.