Reza Madani
The blind owl
Duration: 7'
Solos:
santur
The blind owl
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Video
Work introduction
To compose this work, I was inspired by a book of the same name (Boofe Koor in Persian) written by the Iranian author Sadegh Hedayat. The video provided from one of my shows features a fusion performance that combines this composition with hip-hop dance. The percussion accompaniment in the video is not part of the composition; it was added specifically for the presentation.
What is necessary to perform this work?
Mode and tonality
This piece is written in the Iranian mode Afshari in the tonality of C. This mode is a derivative of Shur (in G here), to which the coda returns.
Demiflat
A flat note with an arrow on its stem in the key signature or as an accidental indicates a demiflat, which lowers the natural note by one quarter tone. On an analog tuner, this corresponds to a pitch halfway between the natural note and its flat note. On a digital tuner, it is the natural note lowered by 50 cents. Some players tune between minus 40 and minus 60 cents, creating subtle variations in the overall feeling conveyed by the piece. The demiflat is called Koron in Persian.
Hammer signs
In Persian, the hammers used to play the santour are called mezrabs. In the music score, hammer signs are indicated by a V for the left-hand hammer and an n-like shape for the right-hand hammer.
Tremolos and trills
In santour music, tremolos, called reez in Persian (literally meaning "small"), are very common. They are used both as ornamentation for short notes (indicated by double diagonals on the note's stem) and as a means to sustain long notes (indicated by triple diagonals on the note's stem). Tremolos are executed by rapidly alternating between the left and right mezrabs over the duration of the note, with the number of alternations left to the player's discretion. A special technique, if specified by the composer through the addition of the words Tak reez (or Tak or T for simplification) above or below the tremolo note, involves playing a distinct initial stroke before beginning the alternations, while respecting the note's duration. The Tak technique (meaning “single” in Persian) can also be used in the execution of a trill; in this case, the term Tak trill is indicated on the note.
Section names
Different sections of the piece are marked with Persian labels:
- Daramad: Prelude
- Pardakht, ghesmate 1: Development, part one
- Peyvand: Bridge for connecting different sections
- Pardakht, ghesmate 2: Development, part two
- Foroud: Coda, concluding with a cadence in the principal mode