You might say I’m on a Seemorgh diet. I see ‘Morgh, and I play it!
This Sunday night that all comes to an end, as last week I received notice that, after 20 years, “The Lost Chord” will be “sunsetting” on WWFM.
I hope you’ll join me for a final go ‘round, with an hour of Persian polyphonic music – that is to say, music by Persian (or Iranian) composers, based on native folk and classical melodies, but tailored specifically to western instruments.
We’ll hear two works by Behzad Ranjbaran, recorded in 1994 for the Delos label. I had heard Ranjbaran’s lyrical Piano Concerto at a concert of the Philadelphia Orchestra some years ago, but it did not prepare me for the beauty and opulence of his “Persian Trilogy.”
Ranjbaran, born in Tehran in 1955, is currently on the faculty of the Juilliard School. Many of his works are influenced by Persian culture and literature. The “Persian Trilogy” was inspired by the “Shahnameh,” the national epic of 11th century poet Ferdowsi.
We’ll hear two of the three pieces, including “Seven Passages,” about the hero Rostam, who undergoes seven trials along the path to rescue the Persian king Kavus; and “Seemorgh,” about the mythical bird (“seemorgh” is Persian for “phoenix”) that raises the abandoned hero Zaal, who is able to summon her in times of crisis.
Ranjbaran proves himself a master orchestrator. If you enjoy the music of Rimsky-Korsakov, Debussy, Paul Dukas, or Ottorino Respighi, I think you’ll really enjoy his “Persian Trilogy.”
We’ll also hear music by Reza Vali, born in Ghazvin in 1952. Vali, currently on the faculty of Carnegie Mellon University, has been called “the Iranian Béla Bartók” for his ability to successfully meld native folk elements with established western classical forms. His “Folk Song (Set No. 9)” is composed for the combination of flute and cello. The flutist switches between various instruments of the flute family, and the cellist plays tuned crystal glass and tom-toms. As you’ll hear, the musicians are also required at various points to sing and whistle.
It may be sunset, but we’ll keep looking to the sunrise for new possibilities. For now, it’s the last flight of the phoenix for “The Lost Chord.” I hope you’ll join me for “Roses of Persia,” a bouquet of Persian polyphonic music, this Sunday night at 10:00 EDT, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.
