Beyond Solitude
Noavaran Ensemble
Beyond Solitudeby Gregory H. Aslani performed by Noavaran Ensemble at Adelphi University 2010
Composer: Gregory H. Aslani
Persian Classical Arrangements: Homayoon Beigi
Poetry: Davood Rahni and Saadi
Style: Fusion of Comtemporary Music and Persian Classical Music
Performers:
Noavaran Ensemble:
Homayoon Beigi, Tar
Katayoun Moosazadeh, Voice
Nicolas Chbat, Percussion
Paul Aljian, Tombak and Daf
Contemporary Style Musicians:
Linda Wetherill, Flute
Susan Jolles, Harp
Jay Sorce, Guitar
Persian Classical Modes: Avaz-e Dashti, Dastgah-e Shur, and Dastgah-e Chahargah
Program Notes:
Beyond Solitude is a fusion of contemporary (tonal/atonal) sounds with a specific style of microtonal Persian Classical Music. It employs two groups of musicians, a Contemporary Trio and a Persian Classical Quartet who begin a two way communication.
The first movement of the piece, although written in contemporary spirit, has been greatly influenced by Persian classical melodies. It symbolizes the start of a dialog in the contemporary musical language with a Persian attitude to speak to the Persian Quartet. In response, the Quartet will debut its 24-division well-tempered interpretation of the Deilaman Gousheh of the Persian Classical Avaz of Dashti. This is followed by a dialog back and forth in the two dialects trying to communicate with slight variations in style. The Trio takes note from the rhythmic piece portrayed by the Quartet in the mother Dastgah of Shur to transit, in form, into tonality which is more compatible with the Dastgah of Chahargah. This time, when the Quartet responds with its interpretation of the opening of Chahargah (Daramad), the Trio attempts to express itself with its gained experience of the dialog, only to cut short at times to listen and gain more insight.
By the end of the piece, the comfort level increases to a level of confidence that there is no hindrance in speaking each side's dialect. In fact the conclusion proves that the two styles, with a slight flexibility, can coexist in harmony and provide a positive level of dialog without having to set aside their respective originality.
Synopsis (by Davood Rahni):
Inspired by his life-long integration of Eastern and Western cultural experiences, Greg Aslani has composed this musical piece as played through the dialogue of the two groups of performers. Persian sound (Iranian traditional microtonal scale) and Western contemporary sound are synergistically intertwined to create a peaceful ambiance of Persian music and the message of peace.
During the first interlude, thirteen minutes in duration, flute, harp and guitar trio create a bridge between the East and the West. Persian music is then progressively played by Tar, Tombak, Daf, percussion and vocal performance of the Noavaran Ensemble (www.NoavaranEnsemble.com) in conjunction with the recital by Babak Taleghani of a poem by Davood Rahni. The latter performance is interspersed with flute, harp and guitar. The finale is a true convergence of both ensembles.
About the Artists
Katayoun Moosazadeh has enjoyed singing from the age of 8, but she started her formal training with Persian folk music starting at the age of 17, under the direction of the famous vocalist, Maestro Sima Bina. She also studied the Traditional Iranian Vocal Etudes Radif) for 18 months, with Maestro Fatemeh Vaezi (Parisa). In a 2005 competition at Washington D.C. (Star Musician of Iran) she was voted as the finalist and winner in vocal category and has since performed at the Miller Theatre at Columbia University and the Lincoln Center in 2009.
Nicolas Chbat, originally from Lebanon, studied Ghanaian drumming from 1995 to 1998 when he attended the Arabic Music Retreat (intensive educational program) under the direction of Maestro Simon Shaheen. He then learned Arabic percussion theory and practice under Michel Merhej and Tim O'Keeffe. He has since been performing classical Arabic music with different ensembles in Minnesota and New York. He has since been performing classical Arabic music with different ensembles in MN and NY. He was with the New York Arabic Orchestra (2007-2010) under the leadership of Bassam Saba, where they performed at the Symphony Space in New York City. Since 2011 he has been with Sukoon and Brooklyn Nomads where they performed at numerous venues including the Millennium Stage at the The Kennedy Center in Washington DC. His instruments are: Arabic Daf, Riqq, Derbakkeh, and Tabl. Dr. Chbat is principal scientist at Philips Research labs and adjunct professor of biomedical engineering at Columbia University.
Paul Ajian has been playing Middle Eastern hand drums for over 25 years. After studying and performing a wide range of western classical and popular music, he was introduced to Persian classical music by Bahram Sadegian, with whom he has been performing on the Daf in the Chakavak Ensemble. He has studied hand drum playing with Glen Velez, and Persian Tombak with Djamchid Chemerani. He also performs Armenian music with Richard and Harold Hagopian, playing the Daf, the Ghaval (Dayereh), and the Riq.
Linda Wetherill is founder/director www.Counterpoint-Italy.com International competition for composers and Lucca International Festival for chamber music based in Lucca' Oratorio Degli Angeli Custode in Tuscany and also in New York. Counterpoint-Italy, her competition to further musical language for soloists and also small chamber ensembles has had annual premiere performances to excellent reviews in NYC and Italy since 2009. Linda also participates in several of NYC's finest small ensembles, and is professor of music topics and Professor of flute at St. John's and Adelphi Universities. Read more at Linda Wetherill - Bio
JAY SORCE: A classical guitarist noted for his unique blend of refinement, intensity, and virtuosic technique, Jay Sorce has performed throughout the United States and in Canada, Mexico and Germany as soloist and chamber musician. Highlight appearances include performances at the Long Island Guitar Festival, Iserlohn Guitar Festival, Tuckamore Festival, Brooklyn’s UNPLAY festival, the East Bank concert series, and at New York’s Staller Center for the Performing Arts where his solo recital was hailed as “simply brilliant” (Jerry Willard). Read more at www.jaysorce.com
Homayoon Beigi has been conducting research in acoustics for over 30 years and has studied and taught the physics of sound at Columbia University for over 25 years. He also studied music theory with the late Maestro Gregory H. Aslani, along with collaborations with that G.H. Aslani in the composition of a fusion work with three incarnations, featuring the contemporary composition of G.H. Aslani and Homayoon's Persian compositions and arrangement in Chahargah and Shur. Homayoon has been working on the theory and practice of introducing 24-tet microtonal harmony to melodies derived the Persian classical repertoire. He studied the Persian Kamancheh with the late maestro, Andranik Aroustamian, from 1983 to 1993. From 1993 to 1995 he studied the classical Persian etudes of Mirza Abdollah for the Tar under Reza Derakhshani. He has also self-studied the Persian Dotar in the style of late Maestro Haj Ghorban Soleimani since 1996. He has performed in many Persian classical and fusion venues including several appearances at Columbia University, Adalphi University, Symphonyspace, IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, and the Bowery Poetry Club. His fusion work has involved Persian classical music with North Indian (Hindustani) Music (Tar and Dotar with Sitar and Tabla), South Indian (Carnatic) Music (Kamancheh with Mridangam and Voice), Persian popular oldies (Tar with Voice) and Contemporary American Music (e.g., George Gershwin on Tar with Voice), in collaboration with the American Suprano Singer, Monika Jalili. In 1995 and 1996 he won two consecutive Adventurous System and Software Research awards, while working at IBM Research, for the development of a paper-like interface using a tablet PC for entering and editing musical notation on a computer, utilizing pen-gestures and handwriting recognition technology. Dr. Beigi earned his BS (1984), MS (1985), and PhD (1991) from the mechanical engineering department of Columbia University. He worked at IBM TJ Watson Research Center for ten years (1991-2001) and since 2001 he has been the President of Recognition Technologies, Inc., conducting research on Speaker, Face, and speech Recognition. He has been an adjunct professor in the departments of Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, and Electrical Engineering and has supervised PhD students in Civil Engineering at Columbia University since 1995.
Susan Jolles, harpist, has enjoyed a long and varied career as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral player, teacher, and arranger. A founding member of the Jubal Trio, recipient of the Naumburg Chamber Music Award, she also appears with daughter, Renee,violinist, ias the Jolles Duo. Ms. Jolles is a member of the American Composers Orchestra, Musica Viva(New York), the Little Orchestra Society, and is associate harpist with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Past affiliations include the Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, The Group for Contemporary Music, The New York Chamber Symphony, and the Juilliard Ensemble. She also appears regularly with the Encores Orchestra and North/South Consonance. Ms. Jolles has been associated with contemporary music since receiving a Fromm Fellowship in contemporary music performance in 1963. She has premiered and recorded the music of such compoers as Luciano Berio, George Cromb, Hans Werner Henze, Charles Wuorinen, and David Diamond. She has also commissioned many composers for the Jubal Trio and Jolles Duo. Susan Jolles has an extensive discography. She has collaborated with artists that span all musical styles, from Klezmer with Giora Feidman, jazz with Kenny Garrett, cabaret with Barbara Cook, to classical with Humbert Lucarelli and Laurel Zucker. She performed on Grammy Award Albums,with the Contemporary Chamber Ensemble and Dawn Upshaw. Susan Jolles is on the faculties of the Manhattan School of Music and the Mannes College of Music. She also teaches in the summer at the Bel Canto Institute in Florence, Italy. Manhattan School of Music College faculty since 1997.
info@noavaranensemble.comNoavaran Ensemble