little freiburg music festival: »Sei solo«

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»But why did they ever set forth from that place? lt is on the coast that the billows crash most fiercely, so narrow a room do they have there, and so unconquerable. Not asking would have brought you back, asking drives you on over yet a further ocean.«

Kafka (from The Fourth Octavo Notebook) 

»UNKNOWN NEARNESS«

November 14, 2020: The train has been departing from Munich for an hour. There I stayed a few days to record the tracks for this album. Now, on my way back to Berlin, thoughts are orbiting about the impressions of the past days. This recording presents a number of newly developed playing techniques for Kamancheh. In trying to introduce the listener to the concept of this album, a description of the used playing techniques seemed to me a necessary guideline:

• Fingertremolo-Flageolett technique: Simultaneously creating of flageolet effect and finger tremolo. Result is the partly impression, as if two Kamanchehs were playing at the same time (no.1, first part). The sound color produced is similar to a flute called Lale-Waa from my region of origin, Mazandran in northern Iran. The Lale-Waa is considered the most important instrument of the traditional folk music of Mazandaran.

• Vortex-like bow technique: Each tone contains a stroke up and down. Each stroke also contains two very short and fast consecutive stroke units (similar to staccato). A total of four fast and short stroke momentums are performed with each sound played. This creates a bubbling, ecstatic and energetic soundsphere (no. 1, second part, and no. 12). A relatively similar audio impression is provided for the flamenco guitar by the triple-Rasgueado technique.

• Trial plucking technique: Each tone contains three beats, whereby the first and third beat are generated by plucking with the right hand and the second beat by pulling off the string away with the left hand (end of track 12). 

• Further plucking techniques: The use of different plucking techniques as an additional rhythmic and percussive element can be heard on the following pieces: No. 2, 3, 4, 7, 10 and 12. These are partly based on plucking techniques of the Persian long-necked lute Setar.

• Arpeggio: Common technique for violin, but for Kamancheh an unusual technique. Depending on the mode, an arpeggio can also contain the so-called microintervals (tracks no. 2 and 7).

At no point of this album two tracks have been layered. In recent years the overlapping of several tracks in Kamancheh solo recordings has become a popular practice. lt was very important to me to consciously avoid this approach, and to record all pieces absolutely and exclusively with only one Kamancheh in a single track. The reason for this is to give the audience a realistic sound impression of this instrument and to demonstrate exactly what is technically possible tobe played in a single performance by only one Kamancheh.

Moreover the established and newly introduced playing techniques become immediately audible and comparable. Furthermore, each work sticks to its basic rhythm while the groupings vary within the bars. It goes without saying that the playing techniques mentioned above are not in themselves the exact goal of making music. However, they are necessary means for the emergence of new musical expressions.

But why should the emergence of new musical paths be important in the first place? In other words, why should an artist want to venture out of his comfort zone, which consists of making use of the settled lores and traditions? 

Two answers occure in this context. On the one hand, the artistic free spirit is uncontrollably obsessed with detecting new ideas. lf he tries to displace his obsession, he loses his artistic identity. He may be artistically compromised as he pursues his urge, and it is much more likely to fail than to gain anything from it. However, if this venture is successful the enrichment will be immeasurable. On the other hand, the answer to this can also be found in an unspeakable longing for something unknown, which is so close to the arfo:ts soul. He wants to touch this unknown nearness.«

Misagh Joolaee 

Tickets for this wonderful recital taking place on Saturday, 16.07.2022 at 8 p.m. (admission from 7:20 a.m.) can be purchased in advance via the ticket shop seen below and at the box office on the day of the recital. The number of seats is limited to 80. Therefore an online-purchase is highly recommended in order to ensure a seat.