Behzad Ranjbaran

Fountains Of Fin

Fountains of Fin presents a Persian duality - the fountains themselves; dating back to the 16th century; are now a construct of sheer beauty; but are also the scene of a tragic 19th century assassination. This duality is reflected in Ranjbaran's writing. Of the 2008 world premiere by Bargemusic; Allan Kozinn (The New York Times) wrote: '[T]he flute line; which often stands apart or interacts almost conversationally with the strings; is meant to suggest the Persian version of the ney; a wooden flute used throughout the Middle East. And the music's decidedly modal accent gives the piece a hint of exoticism without wresting it from the conventions of Western musical discourse.... The call and response between the flute and the tandem strings; the increasingly intense ensemble writing that leads to a vigorously rhythmic central movement; and the deeply melancholy finale capture both the entrancing beauty and the brooding; fearsome mysteries of this Iranian garden. It proved a gripping piece...' On YouTube; flutist Eugenia Zukerman; who recently performed in the Canada premiere; discusses the work with Ranjbaran; and also talks about Fountains of Fin with fellow musicians.