Immerse yourself in ‘The Rich Sounds of Persia’, a remarkable musical journey in which centuries-old Persian traditions meet the innovative Dutch 31-tone system. In this concert, the melancholy tones of Persian folk and Sufi music merge with the refined nuances of Western microtonal music, performed by three outstanding musicians: Ere Lievonen and the brothers Sayed Ali Jaberi and Pouriya Jaberi. The combination of Iranian and Western instruments opens up a world of sonic possibilities in which culture, spirituality and musical innovation go hand in hand. At the heart of the programme are works rooted in the rich language, poetry and history of Persia, including the inspired Lost in the Silk Road by Sayed Ali Jaberi, the delicate melodies of Prelude No.5 by Javad Maroufi, and the swinging composition Persian Method by Rasoul Yari. But there are also sounds from neighbouring countries of Persia, such as the contemporary Ode to a Dove by the ethnically Armenian Turk Ardashes Agoshian. The musicians also present a unique joint improvisation in which the boundaries between tradition and innovation fade.Persian music is characterised by refined melodies, modal structures and a strong role for improvisation. Central to it is often the dastgah system, a collection of musical modes that together form a framework for both composition and performance. The music is frequently played on traditional instruments such as the tar, setar, santur, kamancheh, ney, tombak, tanbur and daf, and encompasses both a classical and a diverse folk tradition. Persian music reflects a profound cultural heritage in which spirituality, poetry and expressiveness come together.
Sayed Ali Jaberi, an internationally recognised composer and tanbur player, conveys like no other the spiritual power of this sacred string instrument. His expressive playing is supported by his brother, percussion virtuoso Pouriya Jaberi, who brings Persian music to life with rhythmic depth and subtle dynamics. Ere Lievonen, a specialist in microtonal music and the regular performer on the Fokker organ in Amsterdam’s Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, adds a Western dimension to this sonic palette. The unique Fokker organ, with its 31 tones per octave, enables him to explore nuances and intervals beyond the reach of traditional Western systems. It is interesting that in his three short pieces from 1948 Adriaan Fokker used rhythmic patterns that are also common in Persian music, while the composer Joke Kegel with her new work EastWest Grooves quite literally enters into a dialogue between East and West, in which sound and culture enrich one another.