The music of Iranian composer Behzad Abdi fuses dastgāh (the Iranian modal system) with Western classical forms. He wrote Iran’s first national opera, Rumi (Naxos 8.660424-25), and Hafez also exemplifies his approach to the medium. The opera’s subject is the great Persian poet and mystic Hafez, whose sonnets and poetry are still widely read across the Persian-speaking world today. Behrouz Gharibpour’s libretto traces the poet’s tribulations, memories of keeping his poems from being destroyed by a despotic government, and subsequent exile. Abdi’s polytonal technique serves to reflect the unique concepts of Hafez’s 14th-century poetry with passion, lyricism and power.
Disc 1
Abdi, Behzad
Gharibpour, Behrouz - Lyricist
Hafez
1 Act I Scene 1: Sultan Mobarezedin's Attack (Hafez) 03:05
2 Act I Scene 2: Disaster and Killing Sultan Abu Eshaq (Sultan Abu Eshaq, Mother of Sultan Abu Eshaq, Sultan Mobarezedin, People) 03:59
3 Act I Scene 2: Elegy (Mother of Sultan Abu Eshaq, Hafez, People) 06:44
4 Act I Scene 3: Pub and Obeid Zakani (Obeid Zakani, Sheriff, Butler) 06:15
5 Act I Scene 4: Saqinameh (Hafez, Chorus) 04:42
6 Act I Scene 5: Prison of Sultan Mobarezedin (Prisoners, Poet, Sultan Mobarezedin, Shah Shoja, Obeid Zakani) 10:40
7 Act I Scene 6: Hafez's Aria I (Hafez) 03:46
8 Act I Scene 6: Obeid and Sultan Mobarezedin (Obeid Zakani, Sultan Mobarezedin, Poet) 05:10
9 Act I Scene 7: Hafez's Aria II and Arrest Hafez (Hafez, Poet, Soldier 1, Mohammad Gol-andam) 08:50
Disc 2
1 Act II Scene 1: Revolt (Hafez, People, Farmer, Shah Shoja, Poet, Minister, Sultan Mobarezedin) 13:37
2 Act II Scene 2: Victory (Soldier 2, Sultan Mobarezedin, Poet, Shah Shoja) 05:36
3 Act II Scene 3: Departure of Hafez (Mohammad Gol-andam, Hafez, Sa'di, Khajoo Kermani, Mowlavi, Khayam, Chorus) 08:46
4 Act II Scene 3: Dialogue (Mohammad Gol-andam, Sultan Mobarezedin, Poet, Hafez, Shakh-e Nabat) 12:58
5 Act II Scene 4: Shakh-e Nabat (Mohammad Gol-andam, Shakh-e Nabat, Hafez, People) 04:01
6 Act II Scene 5: Death (Shakh-e Nabat, Hafez, People) 05:05
7 Act II Scene 6: Final (Hafez, Chorus) 02:10
Total Playing Time: 01:45:24
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