One nation attacks another. What do we actually know about each other?
In War, Truth Is The First Casualty
Oh, sure: we have stereotypes of each other. But how much understanding do we actually have of another culture?
What do I really know about Persia? The rhetoric from the saber rattlers won’t tell me anything. I can guarantee you that. Music is part of culture, so I thought I’d start there.
Persian Culture
I have listened to lots of Persian music over the years. It has often intrigued me. Plus, I spent a few years learning frame drums and those are a part of the music of the Middle East, including Iran. I’ve also been curious about many of the wind instruments of this region.
What I was drawn to this time is the varied stringed instruments of Persia. In particular, I’m using the sounds of the santoor and setar in an upcoming musical suite. So, I’m going to share with you a little of what I’ve learned about these two quite different instruments.
Setar
How fun that the “…tar” ending refers to an instrument held similarly to the guiTAR. In fact, there is another Persian instrument called the tar which means “string”. Of course, the sound of the tar and setar is quite different from the guitar.
The tar usually has 6 strings while the setar has three or four. On a 4-string setar, two are steel and two are brass. This combination can produce many sounds that are quite soothing.
Persian Santoor
Sometimes spelled santur, the santoor is a dulcimer played with wooden (or synthetic) hammers. As with so many of the dulcimers played worldwide, this one has an entrancing sound. The lightweight hammers bring out the sound of the strings, but not in a heavy way.
The hammers or mallets are traditionally made of wood that’s carved into a curved end that is used to tap the strings of the santoor. I find the sound of this instrument to be very soothing.
Listen for these instruments in an upcoming suite.
Discover more from Stan Stewart - @muz4now
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You’re absolutely right, Stan! We know far too little about other countries and cultures and are all too often convinced that we’re the center of the universe. Besides your excellent examples in music, it’s Persian poetry in particular that has always resonated with me. Even though I’m no expert on Iran, I see strong parallels to China and am constantly amazed at how much the Chinese know about, for example, the USA, while conversely, there are profound gaps in our knowledge.
So true. I had forgotten how many Persian poets I have appreciated over the years.
And yes, having lived in other countries and with people from different cultures, I can confirm that nearly all of them knew more about the USA than I knew of their countries and traditions. Of course, this was one of many reasons why it was such an important part of my life and experience.
Thank you for your sharing and reminder to me.
People like you and me, or rather most of our readers, see things similarly. However, several powerful forces stand in the way, not just the military, which cannot exist without enemies. And then, as always, there’s education. I think many of us are surprised by the high level of education in some other countries when we start looking into it, or when we understand how much money other governments invest in the education of the general population.
Love the eclectic areas of music you are prepared to study Stan. And to include in your own compositions. A great insight from yourself and Friedrich regarding cultural significance and having an interest to embrace the knowledge. You both embrace others’ cultures amazingly well and provide really interesting posts to read. Both of you share photographs and video/audio uploads, which are top notch quality, too. Your WordPress sites assist us all with understanding the importance and perspectives in the arts from places around the World. So a huge thank you.
Cheers and all the best.
Thanks, Gray!
You have such a good heart and clearly you have deep understandings to respond in this way.
All the best to you as well.
Cheers Stan. It is so good that you are still active and finding vibrancy musically. I’m just beginning to find my confidence again to return and try to realise the next stage to new songs. Must say. Looking forward to your new songs with these instruments included. All the best.