In September 1994, I stopped teaching tombak using the common methods and started teaching it along with old (Qajar) Tasnifs from the very first class. I had already developed an interest in collecting these Tasnifs. For twelve years, I immersed myself in Qajar music, the period during which this tradition was alive. During this time, the only music I listened to was the gramophone records from the Qajar era.
Gradually, my approach gained acceptance, and as I saw positive results, I became more confident in this path. Now, I believe that this method has filled a gap in Iranian music education, especially in the field of rhythmic pieces. Of course, the validation of this claim will be determined over time and by experts. A generation of young musicians today, many of whom have taken up music professionally, were introduced to this method and are the primary witnesses to its effectiveness.
Like any teacher, I wanted to have an instructional method based on my personal approach. However, my decision made things difficult, as there was not much accumulated experience behind me. Now, the time has come for me. From March 6, 2021, to May 18, 2021, I recorded all my interpretations of Qajar Tasnifs in video format, once with the tombak and once with the dâyereh. This collection will soon be published as a tombak & dâyereh educational method.
What Does Interpreting an Old Tasnif Mean?
My research over the past thirty-plus years on the performances of these Tasnifs, from the earliest recordings of the Qajar period in 1905 onwards, revealed a key point: every performer alters the words, melody, and sometimes even the form and rhythm according to their own taste. However, these changes are subtle enough that the listener can still recognize the Tasnif. Generally, the extent of these changes (with a few exceptions) never exceeds twenty to thirty percent. This approach was a tradition in the Qajar period for performing these Tasnifs.
What Is Unique About My Interpretation of These Tasnifs?
My main focus has been on organizing the form and rhythmic entries of these Tasnifs. The words and melody were of secondary importance. In the earliest performances, recorded on the gramophone records of the Qajar period, many of these Tasnifs were not performed in full. This was mostly due to the time limitation of about three minutes per record. Therefore, sometimes the form of the Tasnifs needs reconstruction.
The rhythmic entries in the earliest recordings, especially in the works of the great masters, serve as an exact and fundamental reference and model, which became chaotic in later performances and have reached us in this disordered state. Practically, this is the most important fact that must be considered in performing the Tasnifs. The Qajar music repertoire is mainly vocal, with a few metrical pieces called "Reng" at the end of each system’s sequence (Dastgâh), containing a very small amount of metrical music without words compared to its non-metrical, vocal parts. Therefore, these Tasnifs are the only representatives of metrical vocal pieces composed in this music. Any indifference or rhythmic error in performing them will lead this repertoire to the complete metric-rhythmic extinction. In my journey, I have devoted the most time and attention possible to understanding, analyzing, and possibly modifying this aspect.
The words and melodies have been reviewed from several perspectives. For incomplete Tasnifs, there is a need to add sections considering the form. Sometimes a set of words is found for a Tasnif, but its melody is missing, and sometimes vice versa. It should also be noted that sometimes the words of Tasnifs are not acceptable today for various reasons and need to be changed. The lyrics of Qajar Tasnifs, according to older composition traditions, consist of two parts: poetry and "Tarannom". Qajar "Tarannom" differ from earlier periods and have become closer to poetry, but their musical function is entirely established as in their predecessors. Revisions have also been made in this section.
What Has Been My Methodology and Approach?
My model in this path has been, above all, the interpretations and methods of Abdollâh Davâmi. Several interpreters of Qajar Tasnifs are notable. Rezâ-Qoli Khân-e Nowrozi holds a special place among them, with the most recorded Qajar Tasnifs in 1909 in London. These performances are the only surviving works of Rezâ-Qoli Khân in the history of this music. Similar amounts of information are available about other interpreters, meaning that one or more Tasnifs were recorded from them at some point. By combining various performances of a Tasnif and merging the strengths of each, we can achieve a richer version of that Tasnif.
However, Abdollâh Davâmi has several features that make his role in this field superior to others. Firstly, he was one of the few musicians of the Qajar period who had a special interest in and access to the primary sources of the Tasnifs. It is also evident that he did not ignore the recorded interpretations of others, such as the records of Rezâ-Qoli Khân. Additionally, he was a "Zarb-gir" in the Qajar period, meaning he accompanied his Tasnifs by playing the tombak. Most importantly, he continued to interpret these Tasnifs for about seventy years after his first recordings, and fortunately, many examples of these interpretations are available today. Therefore, as a comprehensive expert in this field, Davâmi has also mapped out a path for the tradition of interpreting Tasnifs. It can be confidently said that without Davâmi's efforts, the Qajar Tasnif collection would not have its current richness. I have tried to follow this path, influenced by his methodology, as well as through my understanding, analysis, and personal touch.
(The discussions summarized here and previously written in the booklet of the Aref Qazvini Tasnifs CD will be published in a complete and detailed version with numerous examples, along with this collection of Tasnifs. For more information about Abdollâh Davâmi, see the article "Davâmi, Abdollâh" in the Great Islamic Encyclopedia by Farid Kheradmand.)
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