CD Number [349]
Published [05/05/2013]
At the age of six, Ostâd Elâhi (1895-1974) was already acquainted with the technical intricacies of the Kurdish, Lorish, Turkish, Persian, Arabian, and Indian styles of traditional sacred music.
Ostâd Elâhi's music cannot be placed in any typical category: it is traditional yet profoundly innovative; it is completely spiritual yet cannot be described solely as sacred, for it incorporates elements of the secular repertoire; it is mystical yet non-ritualistic, for Ostâd Elâhi would play only for himself or in the context of small gatherings of relatives and friends; finally, it fulfills its essential spiritual functions yet it does not overshadow the aesthetic dimension. The pieces presented in these two CDs are only a sample of the live recordings of Ostâd Elâhi; the complete ensemble of his recordings being only a small representation of his vast repertoire. The present CD reveals yet another facet of his art, this expressed through the five-stringed tanbur and Persian setâr.
CD 1 tracks: 1. Mobârak Bâdâ Suite (2nd Version), 2. Vâla Vitâna, 3. Ali Âmân Yâ Ali, 4. Hymns, 5. Prayer of Hazrat Ali, 6. Chapi Suite.
CD 2 tracks: 1. Shâh Khoshini, 2. Bâbâ Faqihi, 3. Bâbâ Sarhangi, 4. Bâbâ Nâusi, 5. Improvisation in the Jelowshâhi Suite.
In Celestial Harmonies pieces are recorded in Tehran between 1964 and 1972 except track 6 (1950) and in Mystical Invocation Pieces are recorded in Tehran in 1970.
