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Poetry
Plays
the
Central
Role in
Islamic
Arts,
Said
Jean
During |
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At
a
session
of
Isfahan
School
Music
Congress
held on
Thursday,
December
14, the
French
musician
and
scholar,
Jean
During
gave a
lecture
on the
unity of
Persian
arts.
The
session
went
underway
at
Isfahan
university
of Arts
He
compared
the
Iranian
Arts in
Safavid
era and
said:
"In
Persian
culture,
the arts
are not
as
clearly
delimited
as they
are in
the
West.
They
seem to
stem
from an
internal
disposition
and a
perception
of the
world
which
can be
expressed
in
different
forms
such as
poetry,
calligraphy,
painting
or
music."
After
making
analogies
between
the arts
of
Safavid
era,
During
concluded
that
poetry
has been
superior
to other
arts,
"Poetry
provides
a
subject
matter
for the
calligrapher,
a theme
to
illustrate
for the
painter,
a text
to sing
or a
rhythmic
pattern
for the
musicians,"
he
added.
In
During's
view,
radif was
formed
in
Safavid
era,
"The
traces
date
back to
early
Safavid
era and
scholars
have
deduced
tat
radif emerged
in this
era. But
everything
starts
from
poetry
then
âvâz. The
first
level of
correspondence
between
radif and
poetry
is
structural:
ideally
each
distich (beyt);
is sung
in one
gushe, that's
why
within a
mode (âvâz,
maqâm,
mâye) ,
most of
the
gushe-s end
with the
same
conclusion
(forud) .
This
conclusion
may be
more or
less
varied
or
exactly
the
same.
The
parallel
is
obvious
between
the
recurrent
conclusive
motive
and the
rhyme (qâfiye)
which
remain
the same
at the
end of
each
beyt, throughout
a
ghazal,
On
another
level of
affinity,
we
notice
that:
the
constitutive
unity of
the poem
is
provided
by the
distich.
The
distich
is a
self-sufficient
sentence.
The
constitutive
unity of
the mode
(dastgâh)
is
the
gushe, a
modal
structure
or an
autonomous
melodic
line
which
stands
by
itself,
though
it has a
specific
position
in the
unfolding
of the
performance.
Being
autonomous
units,
the
beyt-s
do not
have a
logical
link
between
each
other,
so the
whole
poem
often
appears
as
lacking
coherence.
Except
the
first
and the
last
beyt-s, it
seems
possible
to
modify
the
sequences
of the
beyt-s. Actually,
in the
different
oral versions
of a
poem,
the
beyt-s are
sometimes
inverted,
without
the
unity
being
affected.
Parallely,
there is
no
logical
link
between
the
gushe-s,
apart
(in most
cases)
from a
modal
relationship.
Here
too, the
introductive
and the
conclusive
gushe must
be at
their
place,
and it
seems
possible
in a
performance
to
modify
the
order of
the
other
gushe-s.
Their
order as
well as
their
number
vary
from one
school
to
another.
As a
result,
the
performance,
especially
when
purely
instrumental
may
apparently
lack
some
coherence.
If you
have to
compose
a love
ghazal
in the
academic
style,
you
would
pick up
images
from a
stock of
cliches,
such as
cheshm-e
jâdu,
zolf-e
parishân,
âbru
kamân,
sarv-e qâmat,
cheshm-e
khomâr,
sham' o
parvâne,
etc.
This
level,
which
can be
called
the
itinerary,
seyr is
a
characteristic
of
Turkish
and
Arabic
style,
which is
also
found up
to a
point in
Persian
music.
But what
is much
more
important
in the
Persian
(and
Azerbaijani)
classic
school,
is to
expose
and to
chain
the
little
compositions
called
gushe. Some
as
called
"innovations"
or
instant
changes
in modes
aren't
usual.
Instead
of al
these,
isn't it
better
to ask
what
maqam or
gushe have
you
added to
Iranian
music
during
the last
150
years?
Some
don't
want to
observe
gushe-s in
Iranian
music
and also
are
unable
to
compose maqam-s
and
finally
compose
a music
devoid
of
notes.
We have
now in
Iran two
main
performance
approaches:
the
paraphrasic
one,
and the
free
one,
sometimes
called
shirin
navâzi or
fantasy
style.
Now, if
it is
possible
to
remain
faithful
to the
classical
style
without
a
thorough
knowledge
of the
gushe, it
is
because,
at a
lower
level of
organization,
the
radif can
be
characterized
by an
abundant
stock of
minimal
motives
that are
up to a
point
the
substance
of a
gushe. I
mean
that a
gushe
is not
only a
simple
melody
like
that of
a tasnif
or
pishdarâmad
freed
from
measure
constraints,
it is
made up
of
melodic-metric
or
ornamental
chunks,
comparable
to the
clichés
found in
poetry
and
miniature.
These
micro-motives
or
ornamental
elements
appear
in
different
modal
and
melodic
contexts,
and
various
arrangements."
On the
specific
features
of
Iranian
Music,
During
said:
"The
intensity
or
moderation
in
playing
is an
unique
feature
of
Iranian
music or
right
and left
mezrab-s
have
different
resonance
or you
play a
note and
this
note is
followed
by some
musical
ornaments.
In
Iranian
music,
the
notes
have
shadows.
The
other
lecturer,
Arvind
Parikh,
a
prominent
sitar
player
and the
president
of
Indian
Musicological
Society
made an
analogy
between
the
music of
Iranian
sehtar
and
Indian
sitar.
In his
comparative
study,
he
considered
the
influence
of
Iranian
sehtar
on
Indian
sitar:
"There
are not
adequate
evidences
to prove
that
Iranian
and
Indian
musical
styles
have
been
combined
to
create a
hybrid
system.
As a
matter
of fact
it's not
an apt
conclusion
to say
that
these
two
systems
influenced
by each
other. I
think
it's
better
to use
word
'appropriation'.
In fact
the
interesting
subjects
in
technical
and
musical
methods
terms
have
been
borrowed
and
there
hasn't
been an
intentional
confluence,"
he
stated.
After
comparing
the
physical
forms of
both
instruments
and
pointing
to their
differences,
Parikh
concluded
that
both
musical
systems
have
very
extensive
roots in
ancient
traditions
and
during a
long
time,
these
traditions
have
turned
to the
grand
musical
maqam-s and
these
musical
systems
must
learn
from
each
other
and
appropriate
the
elements
and
features
to
enrich
their
own
music.
Pezhman
Radmehr,
a PhD
student
of art
research
at
Tehran
University
gave an
introduction
titled
"Maqami
Advars
(Cycles)
in the
Treatises
of
Safavid
Era"
and
observed
the
changes
made in
six
treatises
of
Safavid
era and
compared
them to
4
previous
treatises:
"In
previous
treatises
the
Iranian
musical
system
has 12
prominent
maqam-s,
6 avaz-s
and 24
shobe-s and
in
treatises
of
Safavid
era also
the
musical
system
is based
on 12th
prominent
maqam-s.
The
changes
only
limited
to the
names of
these
maqam-s.
Also
there
are six
avaz-s, 24
shobe-s and
48
gushe-s
in
treatises
of
Safavid
era.
He then
elaborated
on a
question:
had in
Safavid
era a
maqami system
been
dominated
on
scholarly
system
of
Iranian
music or
not?
The
following
essay
was
presented
by Babak
Khazra'ei
titled:
"The
Problems
of
Reading
back "Bohour
Osoul
(Iqa'ei
Dors [Cycles])"
in the
Musical
Treatise
of
Amir-Khan
Gorji."
the
essay
attempts
to
explore
the
relation
between
principals
and
zarb-s, obviously
due to
numerous
ambiguities,
the
results
will be
based on
presumptions.
"The
ninth
and
eleventh
chapters
of the
musical
treatise
of
Amir-Khan
Gorji
and the
introduction
of the
second
part of
the
treatise
were
dedicated
to
Principals
(Osouls)
but
there's
no
description
to guide
us to
read
back
these
principals.
The
method
of its
silver
graphs
is
unlike
the
Montazamieh
treatises
and even
the
number
of
tempos
attributed
to each
of the
principles
is
incongruous
with
other
Safavid
treatises,"
Khazra'ei
said.
A
veteran
Isfahani
musician,
Leon
Minasian
presented
an
article
on
"Music
of
Jolfa's
Armenians"
which
refers
to the
music of
Armenian
minority
in Jolfa
(a
Christian
district
in
Isfahan):
"In
the
early
17th
Shah
Abbas
caused
Armenians
to
emigrate
from
Armenia
to Iran.
Among
them
were
Ashiqs
who have
been
buried
in Jolfa
cemetery.
As well
as
Ashiqs
who
composed
songs,
there
were
praying
songs
and
ballads
which
had 8
specific
voices
with
notes of
ancient
Armenian
music,
but then
in 19th
they
turned
to
European
notes.
Armenian
notes
included
voices
like Po,
O, Vah,
Bah,
Khu.
Except
them
there
are
special
24 marks
on the
words of
ballads.
The
religious
ballads
comprise
eight
kinds of
voices
and each
have
their
own
ballads.
There
are some
books
written
and
printed
for
these
ballads,
one of
them is
written
by
priest
Vartanian
in 1924
and has
been
published
Since
18th
century
the
ballads
were
performed
by organ
and
piano
and
before
that
were
assured
that is
authorized
by the
supreme
religious
leader
of
Armenians.
Formerly
except
religious
songs,
Ashiqs
were
telling
anecdotes
like
those of
Kuroqlu,
Ashiq
Qarib,
Laily
and
Majnoun
which
were
giving
so much
pleasure
to the
attendants
of
celebrations
and
weddings.
There
were
some
carpenters
in Jolfa
who made
musical
instruments
like
tar,
chagour,
violin
and even
piano
and made
a name
for
themselves
including
Malcom;
Yahya,
the
tar-maker
and
Hakoub
Hiyrapetian.
The
Tajik
scholar
Forouqat
Azizava
presented
an
article
on the
history
of
master
and
apprentice
relation
method
in
Iranian
music:
"The
relation
of
master
and
apprentice
is a
cultural
phenomenon
which
embraces
various
branches
of
Iranian
art and
harks
back to
ancient
centuries
of
Iranian
and
Indian
history.
It's
been
said
that the
method
initiated
among
Aryan
ethnicity
and
mostly
have
been
prevalent
among
Iranian
and
Indian
people
and
gradually
went to
the
other
parts of
the
world.
Although
in 21st
century
this
method
has been
frequently
abandoned.
Nowadays
such a
method
has
turned
to an
educational
system
which is
not
pedagogical.
Compared
with
education
pedagogy
has a
more
comprehensive
meaning
and
contains
a higher
level of
knowledge
including
technical
knowledge
of that
field.
But
education
is
simply
means
teaching.
Pedagogy
is
following
after
the
master
and
learning
both
knowledge
and
wisdom
from him
who is
both
teacher
and
mentor.
The
apprentice
subjected
to him
and
always
with
him,"
she
said.
"In
Tajikistan
this
method
of
following
the
master
and
direct
learning
from him
is known
as
Dahan-be-Dahan
(Moth–to-Moth)
or
Sineh-be-Sineh
(Direct)
method.
The
apprentice
learns
through
watching
the
master's
fingering
on the
frets of
instrument
and his
style of
playing
not
through
note. In
the
other
words
the
method
of
learning
and
teaching
is
oral,"
she
added.
"Evidently
there
were
also
scientific
works at
those
times
which
presented
as
musical
treatises.
Henry
Farmer,
British
scholar
is also
an
expert
on
Middle
Ages
music
writes
that
these
treatises
were
almost
written
in
Arabic.
Abu-Nasr
Farabi,
Kharazmi,
Safi-al
Din
ormavi
were to
teach
music in
a
scientific
method
and some
of the
musical
treatises
were
written
in Farsi
like the
musical
treatise
of
Muhammad
Nayshabouri
and also
in
Isfahan
School
the
procedure
of
writing
treatises
on music
was
pursued.
The
treatises
were
written
on 24
maqam-s and
48 gushe-s
in
addition
to the
rules
and
performance
of
music.
They
confirm
that the
musicians
had
completely
understood
the
scientific
rules of
music
and
contain
several
rules
that
should
have
been
reminded
to
apprentices,"
she
declared.
Azizava
concluded:
"The
system
of
master
and
apprentice
has
originated
in the
Eastern
and
Iranian
music
and the
East has
played
an
important
role in
developing
such an
important
phenomenon.
This
system
of
teaching
emerged
in Aryan
times
and
totally
evolved
in
Islamic
culture.
The
system
is oral
one and
is the
essence
of
learning
music.
The
status
of the
master
is so
elevated
in the
system;
also
writing
treatises
was a
method
simply
for
teaching
the
theories."
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