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Reflections in 4 acts for quartet and Live-Electronics (2016/17)
Conception, composition, and live-electronics: Alireza Ostovar (aka. Ali Ostovar)
Bansuri: Julia Ohrmann
Djoze: Bassem Hawar
Santur: Kioomars Musayyebi
Tombak & Daf: Erfan Pejhanfar
Artwork: Pooya Abbassian
Duration: 41 minutes
The phenomenon of transculturality between Middle Eastern and northern Indian musical cultures on the one hand, and the predominantly western European tradition of electronic music, on the other hand, opens a new perspective in contemporary music. Based on my experiences, especially composing electroacoustic music inspired by traditional Persian music, I have planned to expand this idea with elements of other musical cultures. “Reflections” is a work in 4 acts composed for a new quartet format (Djoze, Bansuri, Santur, Tombak) and live electronics. These instruments come from three different cultures: the Arabian, Indian and Persian cultures. Djoze is a bowed/string instrument from southern Iraq. Santur is a hammered dulcimer of Iranian origins. Bansuri is an Indian bamboo transverse flute. Tombak is a Persian percussion instrument. (In a few sections also a Daf, a Persian frame drum, is used.) These instruments have totally different “colours of sound” and identities as their classical western counterparts. Precisely these differences are what I needed for this composition: The combination of traditional instrumental sounds and their sound transformations into electronic sounds in one hand, and the contrast of the traditional oriental music (and melodies) with European music on the other hand. These results in heterogeneous and homogeneous musical textures as well as the dialogue between them, which becomes possible through electroacoustic music. Another interest of mine, beyond my fascination for the sounds of oriental instruments, is for finding an opportunity for dialogue between these instruments in a peaceful space far removed from all the current political problems, especially those in the Middle East.
For the full concert program note see here:
https://www.folkwang-uni.de/uploads/tx_fwtermine/Reflections_16.02.2017.pdf
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