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Ney-Dancing
(based on Neynava in the winter of 2021-22)
19th to 21st January 2022,
Hossein Alizadeh composed "Neynava," a solo Ney and string orchestra piece, which was released in autumn 1984. It can be considered one of the most well-known non-verbal music in the history of Iranian music. The piece consists of an Iranian instrument, the Ney, accompanied by an orchestra of western string instruments (violin, viola, cello). "Neynava" has been interpreted in various ways since its publication.
Some have commented on the relationship between the Western and Eastern worlds. Many consider it a narrative of the lives of intellectuals in the 1980s. This piece was written in days described as when the music was most censored in Iran. Many musicians became jobless. Even carrying musical instruments on city streets required a permit, and women singers were banned entirely.
Meanwhile, Hossein Alizadeh was one of the first musicians to join the revolution and began composing underground music to accompany the revolution process. He was one of the leading members of the Chavosh music ensemble that seemed to be the voice of the Iranian Revolution in 1978-79. Still, the situation changed, and shortly after the publication of "Neynava," Alizadeh found the conditions so bitter, desperate, and unsafe that he emigrated from Iran for a while. He went to Europe.
Some people seek traces of the days of the war, the blackouts, bombardments, and long queues for food and consider the piece a portrayal of that time. In the meantime, some people link "Neynava" to the religious ritual of Ashura. This is primarily because it refers to where the Ashura event took place. Opponents believe this appellation compared the contemporary situation to a bloody event like Ashura. But the composer himself did not reject any of the statements.
"Ney Dancing " performance is based on "Neynava." The performance is barely longer than the 28-minute duration of the original "Neynava." The performer first gives a brief explanation of the piece and then tells the accounts of the real people as the music plays. Some of the stories are about people the performer has been in touch with, and some are about the history of Iranian art. The performance tells the story of an imprisoned theater artist, one of the principal conductors of the Tehran Symphony Orchestra, a translator, a pre-revolutionary film actress, and a memory of a traditional Ta'ziyeh performance.
In this performance, the "Ney" is considered a deserted and frustrated human. It can be the voice of a repressed intellectual talking about a bitter and dark time.
On the other hand, stringed instruments can be the voice of a people or group. This scene can be drawn in mind: a group of ordinary people and an intellectual describe a historical moment. Sometimes there are challenges and confrontations between these two, and sometimes there is unification.
By Mehdi Mirmohammadi
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