Night Silence Desert

Kayhan Kalhor, Mohammad Reza Shajarian | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 3, 2000)
• Original Release Date: September 12, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Trad. Crossroads
• ASIN: B00004WH7X
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #62,005 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #13 in Music > World Music > Middle East > Iran

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awsome!!, June 15, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Night Silence Desert (Audio CD)

This CD has to rank among the "cream of the crop" of contemporary renditions of taditional Persian music. I own a large selection of them and this is one of my most favorite. The lyrics are based on poems by such luminaries as H.A. Sayeh, Attar, and Baba Taher. The song "Baran" is nostalgic, sad and mesmerising.... I have to stop whatever I'm doing and just sink into this song. Kalhor is a magnificent artist and kamanche player -- i've seen him live in concert. Shadjarian is unrivaled. The dotar by hadj ghorban soleimani is great but doesn't really stand out in this CD -- he and his music are authentic folk music of N. Khorassan (which province in Iran i'm from :) i recommend buying his own CD. The CD insert contains a detailed description of the various instruments, all poems in the original Farsi as well as English translations. All in all a magnificent production and masterly composition from the poems to the vocals to the music. This is truely a gem of craftsmanship and artistary and i'm proud to be able to recomment it. :)

This is the CD that moved Simin Behbahani, Iran's preeminent living poetess, to utter "My heart was beating fast with every note of the tar and my throat was choking up." [p.13 in "Kojast Fekre Hakimi?", Ketab Corp, LA, 2003]

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Virtuosity, Perceivable Even by Novices, December 7, 2002

By 

David Kleist - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Night Silence Desert (Audio CD)

One need not be steeped in the traditions of Persian/Iranian music to perceive the beauty and mastery of the musicians and music on this CD. From my perspective, when one reaches a certain level of artistic excellent, it is foolhardy to split hairs over whether one is listening to a "good" recording rather than a "great" one. For me, this music--hauntingly evocative, spiritual, and luminous in its beautiful complexity--is of the highest order of artistry.

This is a recording one can listen to repeatedly, each time discovering new nuances and patterns missed before. Highly recommended.

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BEAUTIFUL AND TRANSPORTING..., May 15, 2004

By 

Larry L. Looney (Austin, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Night Silence Desert (Audio CD)

NIGHT SILENCE DESERT is described in the notes to this CD as a `Khorasan suite' - Khorasan, Iran's largest province, located in the eastern part of the country and home to Masshad, the nation's holiest city, can be roughly translated as `the place where the sun rises'. Kayhan Kalhor has composed the music on this disc based on the classical and folk musics of Khorasan, inspired by his love for the form. The notes that accompany the disc go into great detail concerning the differences and similarities between the classical and folk forms - but rather than writing like a cold theoretician, Kalhor's respect and passion for the music makes the explanation interesting reading.

Kalhor is a master performer on the kemancheh (the traditional bowed lute of the region, widely used in Arab and Middle Eastern music) and setar (a 4-stringed plucked lute) - he is joined here by an exceptionally talented ensemble featuring dotar (a 2-stringed lute), barbat (oud), santur (an instrument similar to the Western hammered dulcimer), nay (a reed flute), ghooshmeh (a double-reed flute), cello, and assorted percussion instruments. The ten tracks on the disc flow together wonderfully - sometimes so smoothly that the listener might not notice the track has changed until the subtle shifts in mood and melody become apparent.

The words sung in the four vocal sections are, like the music, a mixture of ancient and modern - two are by masters from the 11th and 13th century, and two are by contemporary poets. The ghazal form of lyrical expression is one of the most moving and beautiful to be found in the world - and while the pieces on this disc are not sung in English, there are translations provided. The emotions expressed in the poetry are given glorious flight by the voice of Shajarian, one of the most respected vocalists in Persian music today - listening to his performances here, it's easy to understand why he is so revered.

Far from being a `fusion' disc, the music here (at least to my untrained ears) remains true to the essence of Persian classical music. This album is a real treat.