Window of Hope: Music of the Mashruteh

The Iran Heritage Foundation.

Farbro Group (Farhad Farjam).

The Roshani Ensemble (Farshad Mohammadi, Hamid Ghanbari, Saeed Kamjoo, Hamid Khabazi) will present aspects of the musical repertoire and performances related to the Iranian Constitutional Revolution of 1906. This important period of the country's history, which marks the beginning of modern Iran, is also essential for music and musical life in the country. Concerts during this period became a popular vehicle for addressing political issues. Musicians and poets began to use their arts to comment on the political and social situation.

This was a period when the urge for change was felt in all facets of society, and it was inevitable that literature and poetry became an effective vehicle for bringing these new sentiments to the surface. The call for change was so pressing that even such influential and conservative figures such as Malek al-Sho'ara Bahar, who were enchanted with their classic inheritance, were provoked into finding a remedy.

It was no longer possible to defend traditional rules and rely on continual use of the artistic constructions of the past. A momentous and substantial innovation was needed if long established traditions were to be overturned and the new could stand up to the enduring artistic creations of old.

The socio-political model for the movement that was the backbone of this development in poetry wanted to be rid of absolutist monarchism, replacing it with a vision of a utopia of freedom and justice. Its models came form the West.

There were a number of attempts by such poets and musicians such as Malek al-Sho'ara Bahar (1886-1951), Iraj Mirza (1874-1925), Aref Qazvini (1882-1933), Mirzadeh Eshghi (1893-1924), Ali Akbar Sheida (1843-1906) and Mirza Ali Akbar Qazvini, known as Dehkhoda (1879-1956), to introduce a freedom and advancement in Iranian art and literature by way of song writing (tasnif) and poetry. Even satiric songs which were mostly written by unknown or non professional musicians used to express disagreements with the situation. None could create the necessary transformation in poetry. Even such modernist poets as Ja'afar Khamenei', Shams Kasmai', Abolghasem Lahuti, and especially Taghi Raf'at who had repeatedly quarrelled with Bahar over the need to change old forms, did not satisfy this need.

They broke traditions, but their works did not go beyond simple playing with old rhythms, transposition of rhymes and giving identity to new expressions.

A few of the songs which are from that period are still being performed such as Az Khoone Javanae Vatan, ...Morghe Sahar, etc.

The music in this period was marked by two remarkable occurances; the establishment of a repertory of classical music- radif- mostly by a great master of the Qajar court, Mirza Abdollah, and the new concept of performance among Persian musicians to give concerts for the public.

10 GBP. (open seating)

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All text related to this programme provided by Farshad Mohammadi.