ABSTRACT
Touraj Kiaras's CD presents a variety of material relating to the dastgah homayun organized in a way that is quite typical of a current concert format where a vocal soloist and an instrumental ensemble are involved. A more common performance context was that of the private gathering, so that in effect the present CD presents us with a paradox. The pre-composed ensemble instrumental pieces on the CD are all compositions by Faramarz Payvar. The arch analogy is appropriate in that both beginning and end consist of pre-composed instrumental pieces, and that, in this performance, the second and penultimate items are both pre-composed vocal pieces. The radif-related vocal section might include four or five major gushe and last up to 20', nearly half of the whole. The present performance conforms to this model: it lasts just over 46', of which the central section takes up 30', within which the vocalist performs in five gushe lasting 22'.
