Peace and Friendship Symphony will be a slight
to Iran's classical music: Musicians
Top Iranian musicians are opposing Iran's plan
for them to perform the Peace and Friendship Symphony in Europe in the
near future. Tehran Symphony Orchestra (TSO) conductor Manuchehr Sahbaii
said last week that the orchestra will perform the symphony in Europe from
January 22 to February 4. However, no country was mentioned for the
location of the concerts.
Composed by Majid Entezami in last year, the
symphony was originally entitled the Islamic Revolution Symphony, but it
has recently been renamed for the European concerts.
"When there is a plan to perform concerts in Europe, we should select a work
from among the most excellent compositions to prevent dishonoring Iranian
classical music," Melal Orchestra conductor Peyman Soltani told the Persian
service of Mehr News Agency on Wednesday.
He asked TSO's officials to choose a symphony that doesn't trifle with the honor
of Iran's classical music.
Soltani said that the work should be selected from compositions by Emanuel Melik
Aslanian, Farhad Meshkat, Ali Rahbari, Loris Tjeknavorian and Heshmat Sanjari.
He also said that Rahbari is the best option to conduct any of TSO's programs
for the European concerts.
TSO Council member Mostafa-Kamal Purtorab is also opposed to any plan to perform
the Peace and Friendship Symphony in Europe.
"I am opposed to the plan for performing the 'symphony' because technically I
can't verify it's actually a symphony.
"Just any run-of-the-mill composition doesn't deserve to be called a symphony,"
he said.
Musician Kambiz Roshanravan believes the TSO will renew itself with its
performances in Europe. However, he said that it is important that familiar
compositions of high quality are selected for the concerts.
"I have no idea about the Peace and Friendship Symphony because I have not
listened to it. In any event, the symphony selected for performance in Europe
should be very profound and powerful," he added
The TSO performed the symphony in February 2009 as a number of high-ranking
Iranian officials, including President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, attended one of its
concerts.
Chaos still rules at TSO
Choosing the Peace and Friendship Symphony for concerts in Europe shows that
chronic chaos still remains within the TSO.
The Peace and Friendship Symphony was composed last year for domestic audiences
in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.
Consequently, it lacks the necessary qualifications to be performed in Europe,
the home of the world's most prominent composers and prestigious symphony
orchestras.
Iranian musician and conductor Ali Rahbari, was invited from Austria in 2004 to
reorganize the TSO, but he resigned the following year over the low salaries
paid to the orchestra's musicians.
Afterwards, Nader Mashayekhi, another Austrian-based Iranian musician and
conductor, was invited to helm the TSO.
In July 2007, Mashayekhi was dismissed following his complaints over low
salaries and delays in payment of wages of the musicians.
The TSO spent several months without any permanent conductor until Manuchehr
Sahbaii was appointed to conduct the TSO in January 2008.
Over the past two years, the TSO has performed concerts occasionally, in
commemoration of the Iran-Iraq 1980-1988 war and for ceremonies celebrating the
anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.
