This is the concert presentation of a 3-day workshop, "Transcultural electroacoustic music and interdisciplinary arts," with the Conservatory of Livorno students, led by Alireza Ostovar.

Piano: Giacomo Masoni

Flute: Fausto Caricato

Electric guitar: Martino Rappelli

Viola/objects: Mattia Gabbriellini

Guitar: Niccolò Chiaramonti

Laptop/sample: Ian Da Preda

Live-electronics: Ali(reza) Ostovar

Contemporary dance: Claudia Caldarano

Performed and recorded live on 20th September 2023

Photo by: Laura Sgherri

Organizers & project partners: Import/export performance, Mowan teatro, Conservatorio Mascagni di Livorno, Prof. Di Sanctis.

Many thanks to all the organizers and to Prof. Fabio De Sanctis for organizing with the conservatory and his composition students for participating in the master class.

A video documentation will be updated on the youtube channel.

Stay tuned.

“FALL AND RISE“ is a transcultural interdisciplinary performance, research, and creation by Alireza Ostovar in collaboration with Tember Ensemble and guests.

The piece is about "life and death" inspired by Maulana's (Rumi's) poetry called "When I die."

This is a music recording from our live performance on 17 September 2022 in Berlin. For more info about the piece, please check: http://aliostovar.com/fallandrise/

The poem in English:

On the day of my death,

when my coffin is going by,

Don't think that I have any pain

about leaving this world.

Don't cry for me, and don't say,

"What a pity! What a pity!"

If you fall into the traps of the Devil,

that would really be a pity!

When you see my corpse is being carried,

don't say, "Parting, separation!"

Since, for me,

that is the time for union and meeting.

And when you leave me in the grave,

don't say, "Good-bye! Good-bye!”

The grave is only a curtain for hiding

the gathering of souls in Paradise.

Having seen the fall,

Consider the rise.

Why should there be any loss

because of

The setting of the sun and moon?

It seems like a setting to you, but it

is rising.

The tomb seems like a prison, but is the soul's liberation.

What seed ever went down into the earth

that didn't grow?

Why should you doubt

about the human’s "seed"?

What bucket ever went down

and didn't come out full?

Why lament for a soul

when it can return

like Joseph from the well?

When you have closed your mouth

on this side,

open it on that side

to raise up your voice

beyond place and time.

[Molana, Ghazal 911]

Album credits:

Fall and Rise (2022) - Tember Ensemble & guests

Alireza Ostovar (concept, artistic direction, composition, live-electronics, and recorded/processed video).

Azin Zahedi (santur, flute & voice recitation, interpretation/improvisation).

Petros Tzekos (percussions & voice recitation, interpretation/improvisation).

Poem from Molana Rumi

Live recorded on 17.September.2023, in Berlin.

Mix, Mastering, and artwork by Alireza Ostovar

Saz-e Shekaste (broken instrument) Live 07 Roma (improvisation)

The new music and sound performance by Ali Ostovar explores working with objects associated with his memories from the past, especially in relation to his childhood memories with his father in his native Iran. The title of the performance refers to a song of the same name by Delkash, one of the iconic singers of the 1940s–1960s in Iran. Ali listened to many Iranian songs at home during childhood, as his father was fascinated with listening to and playing traditional music. The title also refers to his life story of carrying a broken Iranian setar around Europe for more than 12 years to find someone who could fix it; he still kept it even after buying a new one.

At the performance, he will play approximately 60 minutes of live-electronic music using his laptop, a few cassette players, a synthesizer, and possibly other instruments, questioning what it means to bring the past into the present or keep it there. Does the past consist only of what we remember? And what about what we don’t remember?

He recreates personal memories by selecting different sound materials, using sonic metaphors and transculturation, and playing with time, frequencies, and transformation.

Rome, 08.July.2023

aliostovar.com/saze-shekasteh/

Photo credit by Saleh Kazemi

[Rec - 23.07.08 - 22h42m14s Performance in Roma]

Saz-e Shekaste (broken instrument) Live 05 (improvisation)

The new music and sound performance by Ali Ostovar explores working with objects associated with his memories from the past, especially in relation to his childhood memories with his father in his native Iran. The title of the performance refers to a song of the same name by Delkash, one of the iconic singers of the 1940s–1960s in Iran. Ali listened to many Iranian songs at home during his childhood, as his father was fascinated with both listening to and playing traditional music. The title also refers to his life story of carrying a broken Iranian setar around Europe for more than 12 years to find someone who could fix it; he still kept it even after buying a new one.

At the performance, he will play approximately 60 minutes of live-electronic music using his laptop, a few cassette players, a synthesizer, and possibly other instruments, questioning what it means to bring the past into the present or keep it there. Does the past consist only of what we remember? And what about what we don’t remember?

He recreates personal memories by selecting different sound materials, using sonic metaphors and transculturation, and playing with time, frequencies, and transformation.

Berlin, 23.June.2023

http://aliostovar.com/saze-shekasteh/

Suggestion: read the text after listening to the track.

--

Relative Silence (2023)

By Ali Ostovar

The piece, Relative Silence, is commissioned by "Cute Community Radio" for a program in May - June 2023. The project is entitled "Hudu' Nisbi" and is named after Ziad Rahbani's Album describing a state of relative calm.

The concept is how the (relative) silence is seen and experienced by the artist in his work and practice.

Ali Ostovar responds to the theme with a 30-minute composition with a general upside-down structure, going from noisier and more dynamic to quieter, with a few cycles inside reflecting on a few crucial subjects related to the topic and his viewpoint.

The piece starts with the sounds of breathing, an essential part of our existence.

In the quietest moment, we can hear our breathing sound, feel it, and be connected to it at each moment. This reflects on his meditation practice, as in meditation, it's common that the thoughts and voices in the head come up and create noise in the head. In many meditation techniques, the meditator is supposed to focus on breathing (flow and sensations) to calm the mind, focus and meditate in silence.

That's why the piece moves to a calmer sound/state during the time.

Silence is the absence of sound and can be a powerful and evocative force in music and other aspects of life. From the composer's point of view, silence is the absence of voices (and support) when something happens against human rights. Instead of solidarity, justice, and raising international voices, we often deal with the absence of voice, or even worse, many noises, propaganda, and distractions. By using some sonic metaphors, the composer echoes the recent socio-political movements such as Iran's ongoing revolution, "Woman Life Freedom," the tension between Palestine and Israel, Russia's war against Ukraine, demos in France, and many other fights and uncertainties in the world that can disturb us even from far and in our most quiet moments.

All rights reserved

Alireza Ostovar, 2023

Tember Ensemble (2022, rearranged from the live recording)

Alireza Ostovar (live-electronics, mix & mastering)

Azin Zahedi (santur & flute)

Petros Tzekos (percussions)

This research/production project aimed to explore how "transcultural electroacoustic music" might evolve, intending to create a new electroacoustic piece that explores innovative sounds and compositional possibilities directed by Alireza Ostovar in collaboration with Tember Ensemble musicians & guests.

more information here: http://aliostovar.com/tember-ensemble/

The Album has released on 8 March 2023.

Check it out on Tember's channels:

https://tember.bandcamp.com/album/live-2022

https://soundcloud.com/tember-ensemble

-----------

This track s part of the research and production project by Alireza Ostovar, supported by the DMR scholarship program 2022, NEUSTART KULTUR.

Oud and live-electronics (2022)

by Alireza Ostovar (live-electronics)& Or Sarfati (Oud)

June 2022, Berlin

Video link on Youtube: https://youtu.be/HUAmrkNnwGA

All rights reserved 2022

Between Mind and Love (2021/22)

By Tember Ensemble

Live-Electronics & production: Alireza Ostovar

Tanbur & vocal: Pouria Solhjou

Back-vocal: Aysel Shahmoradi

Photo/cover: Saleh Kazemi

This research/production project aimed to explore how "transcultural electroacoustic music" might evolve, intending to create a new electroacoustic piece that explores innovative sounds and compositional possibilities.

This piece is based on a free improvisation/interpretation of an Iranian/Kurdish Maqam called Ghatar(continuity in Farsi language).

The lyric is some selected lines of a poem from Seyd Yaghub Mahidashti. The title of this track is inspired and taken from the poem:

عزیزان ماه رخساری ژ قوس ابروان تیری و جرگم آشنا کردن ندارم هیچ تقصیری

…

یک عمره پاسبانی کم ژ دور خرمن حسند و صد من گندم گوناد جوی نادی و ورزیری

ژ عقل و عشق حیرانم نه زانم قول کامین کم نه عشقم پیم ادا مهلت نه عقلم کات تدبیری

…

(شعر از سید یعقوب ماهیدشتی )

Dear friends, such a beautiful moon face with eyebrows arch like an arrow; it sat in my heart, it’s not my fault!

It’s a life I am guarding (taking care of love*), and I have got nothing! But a guarding dog receives a meal for its effort.

I am wondered/confused between Mind and Love; I don’t know which one to listen to! Neither the love respites me nor the mind gives me a solution.

* Here, the gender of the beloved one is not apparent, which also brings a spiritual love story with the god, or it can also be with a person.

In general, in Farsi and Kurdish languages, there is no gender determination in the language and words; therefore, there is no gender in the third person pronounce such a “she,” “he,” & “them.”

(Poem from Seyd Ya’aghub Mahidashti, meaning translation and notes by Ostovar)

This piece is part of an album called Land Scape releaed on 21st March 2022 and a live concert soon in Berlin.

All news about Tember Ensemble is on social media.

Stay tuned!!

All rights reserved 2022

-----------------------------------

This s is part of the research and production project by Alireza Ostovar supported by NEUSTART KULTUR.

LALAI: BY ALI OSTOVAR

VOCAL: HANI MOJTAHEDY

SEHTAR: SHAHRAM MOHAMADI

POEM: TRADITIONAL PERSIAN LULLABY

Released on: 2020-07-03

℗ 2020 Alireza Ostovar

The lullaby (Lalai) is a piece originally made for a performance called "Picture of Resistance" and performed at the "Magacin Art Gallery" in Belgrade. The event, which was planned independently, featured the piece, along with other pieces of my colleagues, all of whom had moved to Belgrade to perform Marina Abramovic's work.

The performance was inspired by the protest and spontaneous movement of "the Girls of Enghelab Street", and that work is dedicated to them and all Iranian women in their fight, struggle and resistance. All these years have been and will be oppressed. It is the direct and indirect (symbolic) message of freedom, freedom of speech, freedom of opinion, and freedom of dressing (hijab).

At that performance, the audience shows interest in the piece, and I received many requests to send the music to them, so I decided to make this shorter version just for listening and share it with everyone.

The music is based on a Persian folklore lullaby, but it is a combination of several genres and cultures of different music, which I call Transcultural Electroacoustic Music.

The lullaby is repeated over time in this piece and tells an unclear story that the listener can perceive with their own perceptions.

I hope that one day these pains will be healed, even though the wounds will remain.

Hoping for peace and freedom for all,

Alireza Ostovar

.لالایی، قطعه‌ای است که در ابتدا برای یک اجرای پرفورمنس به اسم "تصویر مقاومت" ساخته شد

،آن اجرا از حرکت اعتراضی و خود جوش “دختران خیابان انقلاب” الهام گرفته شد و آن کار هم تقدیم شده به آنها و تمام زنانِ ایرانی برای مبارزه، تلاش و مقاومتشان در طی تمام این سال‌ها که به آنها ظلم شده است و میشود. آن اثر پیامش به طور مستقیم و غیر مستقیم (سمبلیک) آزادی بیان، آزادی عقیده، و آزادی پوشش (حجاب) است

.موسیقی این کار بر اساس یک لالایی فلکلر (محلی) ساخته شده است

.این قطعه‌ موسیقی تلفیقی است از چند سبک و فرهنگ موسیقی مختلف

این آواز در طول زمانِ این قطعه، تکرار میشود و

.داستانی غیر واضح را روایت می‌کند، که شنونده میتواند آن را با فهم و تصورات خود دریافت کند

.امیدوارم که روزی این درد‌ها خوب شوند، هر چند جای زخم‌ها باقی میماند

،به امید صلح و آزادی برای همه

علیرضا استوار

https://aliostovar.bandcamp.com/track/lalai-lullaby

"REFLECTIONS"

in 4 acts for quartet and live-electronics

Conception, Composition, live Electronics, and production by Ali Ostovar

Djoze: Bassem Hawar

Bansuri: Julia Ohrmann

Santur: Kioomars Musayyebi

Tombak & Daf: Erfan Pejhanfar

Released 12/1/2017

℗ 2017 Alireza Ostovar

Links:

aliostovar.bandcamp.com/album/reflections

Streaming on Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/57kDb7eKkG3yJzMk5nWKur

Streaming Deezer: www.deezer.com/de/album/53481122?

Itunes (Download): itunes.apple.com/de/album/reflect…/1325014493?l=en

Amazon (Download):

www.amazon.de/Reflections-Ali-Os…ywords=ali+ostovar