Dear friends and those interested in the Renaissance of ancient cultures,
The Radīf is the repertoire of Persian classical music. This collection of melodies, divided into twelve modular systems, called the Dastgāhs and Avâz’, has been passed down orally for thousands of years.
The continuity and vitality of this tradition has always depended on its transmission from one generation to the next. However, since its initial transcription into Western notation, and the first sound recordings in the mid-20th century, an actual renewal of the repertoire had never been attempted. As a result, this tradition has stagnated and is now in danger of collapsing due to a lack of young people.
In the autumn of 2022 (1401 in the Persian calendar), the Iranian composer, virtuoso and tar master Elshan Ghasimi premiered the first chapter of her reinterpretation of the Radīf according to Mirza Abdollah at the Bode-Museum in Berlin. She is thus the first female musician to dedicate herself to the systematic renewal of this classical tradition and intangible cultural heritage.
Filmmakers Stefan Stark and Pujan Shakupa (Stark & Shakupa) sat down with the artist and myself as artistic directors to "revive this old tradition with new images". The result is a musical film of extraordinary beauty, sensitivity and colour that you can find here: The Reinterpretation of the Radif | Dastgāh-e Shur.
On behalf of everyone involved, I wish you many refreshing summer days,
Julian Malte Hatem Schindele
© Stark & Shakupa
