Reza Vali (b.1952)
Esfahan
rec. 2021-23, Dornbirn, Austria; Pittsburgh, USA
English translations included
Navona NV6647 [2 CDs: 86]

Reza Vali was born in Qazvin (Iran) in 1952. After spending some time at the Tehran Conservatory, he furthered his studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna and then attended the University of Pittsburgh, where he was awarded a Ph.D in Composition and Music Theory. From 1988 he was a Faculty member of the School of Music at Carnegie Mellon University, where he is now Professor Emeritus. His orchestral works have been performed widely in the USA, for example by the Baltimore and Memphis Symphony Orchestras, while his chamber works have been performed by ensembles such as the Kronos Quartet, the Del Sol Quartet and the Seattle Chamber Players.

Much of Vali’s early work was cast in essentially ‘Western’ idioms, including some atonal works which reflect the influence of his years in Vienna, but since at least the late 1990s he has drawn increasingly on his Iranian heritage.

This involves the use of traditional Iranian instruments, such the oud, santoor and the ney, sometimes in combination with western instruments. More profoundly, it involves the use of Iranian musical forms, notably what is called Dastgah, a system of melodic modes. This, as I understand it, was first codified and regularised in the Nineteenth Century into a system called Radif. My use of the word ‘regularised’ may be misleading, since in performance the musicians are expected to improvise within and upon the dastgah. Each dastagh serves as a basis for such improvisation. The best modern discussion of the system, for readers of English, can be found in Hormoz Farhat, The Dastgah Concept in Iranian Music, Cambridge University Press, 1990. Several of the titles (e.g. Dashti, Châhârgâh, Esfahân, Zand) of pieces on these two discs refer to modes in the Dastgah system.

The most starkly non-Western work here is perhaps the opening piece on the first disc, Hajiani, even though it utilises modern electronics. The sound world of the piece is, however, dominated by Khosrow Soltani, an Iranian virtuoso of a range of Persian wind instruments and a highly accomplished bassoonist – here he plays the karnâ (a traditional double-reed instrument) and the neyanbân (somewhat akin to the bagpipes). The sound has an almost primitive bleakness which is initially startling but becomes fascinating as the piece proceeds; if I may add a personal note, for me it evoked memories of nocturnal coach journeys through largely uninhabited Iranian mountains and deserts.

Some works in this collection are scored purely for western instruments (e.g. ‘Four Persian Mystic Poems’, ‘Persian Suite No.2’, Esfahân, Dashti and ‘Châhârgâh’); while others (Sorná and Zand) combine Persian and western instruments. In the latter group, Zand is especially beautiful and moving. In this piece, Khosrow Soltani plays the ney – an ancient instrument (scholars believe it to have been in use for more than 4,500 years).  The Iranian version of this instrument traditionally consists of a hollow cane or reed, normally with six finger holes and one thumb hole. Soltani plays with great delicacy and emotional intensity. Vali’s music is based on a dastgah called Bayâte Zand (hence the work’s title), which is made up of two overlapping tetrachords. The ney is the solo voice in Vali’s Zand, its breathy sound intensely ‘human’ and rich in melancholy; the string trio is largely restricted to a narrow range of pitches, which create a kind of extended tremolo drone. With variations of rhythm ‘complicating’ the underlying pulse, the result is extraordinarily beautiful.

Another work in which Iranian and Western instruments are combined is Sorná, the last work on Disc 2. Soltani is again the soloist, playing at different times the ney, the schalmei, a kind of shawm, and the sorná another very ancient instrument (which can be traced back to around 500 BCE) and which has a double reed. The work is a kind of chamber concerto, in four contrasting movements, with the soloist joined by an ensemble of western instruments, including a flute, a clarinet, a violin, a cello, a piano and two percussionists, all conducted by Daniel Nesta Curtis. There are some loud and aggressive passages but nothing, I think, that will disturb those whose tastes include contemporary music.

Another item particularly worthy of comment is the set of ‘Four Persian Mystic Poems’, well sung by mezzo-soprano Kara Cornell against a colourful instrumental background. Two of the poems set are by Hafiz (c.1320-1389), one by Rumi (1207-1273), the two greatest of Persian mystical poets, while the remaining piece sets a poem by Sohrab Sepehri (1928-1980).

It would, I think, be redundant, and make this review excessively long, to attempt discussion of all the eight works on these two CDs. The set will recommend itself to those, like me, with a particular interest in Iranian culture, and should appeal to those intrigued by exploratory contemporary music.

These discs are dedicated to the memory of Charles Wetherbee (1966-2023) for many years first violin of the Carpe Diem Quartet.

Glyn Pursglove

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Contents
Hajiani (Reality Music No.1) for Karná and Electronics (2021
Four Persian Mystic Poems, for voice and ensemble (2018)
Esfahân (Calligraphy No.17), for string quartet (2016)
Zand (Calligraphy No.2), for Ney and string trio (1999)
Dashti (CalligraphyNo.18), for singing string Quartet (2020)
Persian Suite, No.2, for flute, piano and string quintet (2021)
Châhârgâh(Calligraphy No.19) for string quartet (2023)
Sorná (Folk Songs, Set No.17) for Persian wind instruments and ensemble (2015)

Performers
Khosrow Soltani (Iranian wind instruments): Hajiani, Zand, Sorná.
Carpe Diem Quartet – Charles Wetherbee, Marisa Ishikawa (violins), Korine Fujiwara (viola), Ariana Nelson (cello): Esfahân, Châhârgâh, Dashti.
String Trio – Becky Neukom (violin), Maija Anstrine (viola), Ariana Nelson (cello): Zand.
Four Persian Mystic Poems – Kara Cornell (mezzo-soprano), Tim Godfey (guitar), Abigail Langhorst (percussion), Marisa Knaub Avon (harp), Brian Gillis (piano), Daniel Nesta Curtis (conductor).
Persian Suite No.2 – Marcia McHugh (flutes), Lara Johnson (piano), Netanel Draiblate (violin), Sonja Chung (violin), Nana Gaskins Vaughn (viola), Daniel Chu (cello), Charles Paul (bass)