Rare documents of Tehran Opera Company published in Europe

1 December 2020 – 12:15 pm Posted in Iranian Classical Music

The year 2020 marks the 10th anniversary of Evlin Baghcheban’s death. She played a crucial role to promote opera and choral music in Persia (Iran). Born to an Assyrian-French family in Turkey, she studied singing and piano at the Ankara State Conservatory. In 1950 Evlin married the Persian composer and fellow student Samin Baghcheban and moved to Tehran.

In Persia, Evlin started to teach singing at the Tehran Conservatory of Music and later became one of the stars of Tehran Opera Company. BBC’s Pejman Akbarzadeh has explored Evlin Baghcheban’s work in a special programme.

The late 1960s saw the zenith of Evlin Baghcheban’s career. After forming the Tehran Opera Company at Rudaki Hall, she had lead roles in many operas, including “Il Trovatore”, “Cavalleria rusticana” and “Carmen”, directed by legendary Lotfi Mansouri in 1971. Many documents and recordings held at the venue were damaged during the 1979 Islamic Revolution but, on the 10th anniversary of Evlin’s death, her son, Kaveh, has published some of the recordings and documents from the family private archive. The bilingual book is now available on Amazon.

“It was quite sad that after a long period of activity at the Tehran Opera, no album of my mother’s performances was available to the public,” Kaveh Baghcheban told BBC Persian TV’s 60 Minutes programme. “These are not professional recordings. These are recorded with simple microphones, but thank God! Because they tell us that, once upon a time, there was an opera company in Iran,” said Kaveh.

Funded by Toos Foundation (UK) and published by Persian Dutch Network (NL), the collection includes an audio CD and more than 50 rare documents and photos. Focused on Evlin Baghcheban’s career, but shedding light on the history of music in 20th-century Persia as well. Most of the materials were previously not accessible for the public.

According to Kaveh Baghcheban, as many recordings and documents were destroyed in 1979, researching the history of opera and choral music in Persia has become quite difficult. “We kept all of these materials hoping only to publish them one day. If other surviving artists also publish the documents and audio materials they have, the gap might be filled a bit,” said Kaveh.

Evlin Baghcheban (also transcribed as Evelyn Baghtcheban) was a singing teacher at the Tehran Conservatory of Music for years. Among her most famous pupils, Hossein Sarshar deserves a mention. Baghcheban was also quite active in choral conducting. She founded the Tehran Choral Group in 1967, which was assigned to perform the choral music for the coronation ceremony.

In 1973 Evlin Baghcheban founded a conservatory for orphaned children; a choral group was also formed under her baton in this conservatory. The choir became quite successful and, just months before the Islamic Revolution, was dispatched to Austria to record two albums: Rangin-Kamun (Rainbow), written for children by Samin Baghcheban, as well as an album of Persian folk songs.

This entry was written by Pejman Akbarzadeh
Tagged: Opera, Tehran Opera, Tehran Opera Company.

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…

Developments in Iranian Music Since Qajar Era (II)

Santour:
Nine-bridge and twelve-bridge Sanours were both used until the early Pahlavi dynasty. However, as Faramarz Payvar devised new methods for playing the nine-bridge Sanour, this variety of the instrument which was hammered by felted sticks became popular.

Mohammad Esmaili passes away

Master Mohammad Ismaili, a prominent musician and renowned tombak player, passed away on August 13, 2023, after battling an illness in the ICU of Rasoul Akram Hospital. His funeral will take place on Thursday, August 17, at 10 am in front of Vahdat Hall, and he will be laid to rest in the Artists’ Section of Behesht Zahra Cemetery.

A Note on the Occasion of Houshang Zarif’s Demise

No introduction is needed when talking about the position of the late Houshang Zarif (1938-2020) in the Iranian music. His character and personality are so well-known among musicians that his name per se is a symbol and role model for the Iranian youth. “Becoming Houshang Zarif” is the dream of many young people who enter the world of music in Iran and many of whom retire regretting the realisation of this dream.

A combination of technique and musicality in the fingers of a pianist

In the world of classical music, the position of soloist has always been exceptional. Apart from the technical ability that many orchestral musicians also have, the soloist must also have a special power to be able to present a different and unique perspective of a piece. The soloist must maintain its special power of expression not only in solo roles but also when interacting with the orchestra.

HarmonyTalk Celebrates 11th Anniversary

April 6 marks the anniversary of launching HarmonyTalk.com. Back in 2004, HarmonyTalk was rather a blog dedicated to music. Gradually, however, it found its way to becoming a more sophisticated journal with an intensive but not exclusive concentration on classical music.

Polyphony in Iranian Music (IV)

Two choirs alternatively perform Veŝ Tavaré Na avaz (Transcription 5). The second group starts the avaz before the first group finishes it; consequently, two different voices coincide (Transcription 5, staves 2 and 5).

A Miracle in the Iranian Music: About Tehran Flute Choir’s Eight-year Tenacity

Tehran Flute Choir is a 40-member orchestra of Iran’s best flutists; Iran’s best flutists? Yes! If you write down the names of the greatest Iranian flute players who participate at concerts and contribute to academic centers in Iran, you will see that most of them are among the choir’s members.

A Persian Nocturne for Piano

A Night in a Persian Garden is the name of a Nocturne composed by the Persian (Iranian) contemporary composer Behzad Ranjbaran. This Nocturne, published recently by the Theodore Presser Company in the US, was performed for the first time in 2002 in New York City by the young Persian pianist Soheil Nasseri and has enjoyed many performances by other pianists.