The music of Rumi

(aka World Music Sampler 2007)

Rumi by Haydar Hatemi

       Listen to the reed and the tale it tells,
       How it sings of separation...

The music of Rumi is...

• music of his poetry (the sound of language itself, in the original Persian)
• music as metaphor in his poetry (music, instruments, musicians...)
• music of the performed Rumi text
• a metaphor for the ritual experience of Rumi's poetry, for Rumi as Mevlana, as saint
• a metaphor for the experience of mystical love poetry
• a metaphor for mystical experience generally
• a metaphor for all songs of love, longing, and reunion
• a metaphor for the harmonious machinery of the cosmos, the synchrony of micro/macrocosm, the mutual whirling of human and universe...

Concert sketch:

NB: There should not be an MC or any formal didactic voice; let the program flow present itself, with any needed explications relegated to the printed program

PART I

(stage is set for Indian ensemble (back a bit) and for small ensemble to accompany Geha (front, stage left). Screen is off to one side, or up high.

• Blackout....

• Geha's dance-recitations: poetry of Rumi, with nay and tar (poems: "Out beyond ideas of right and wrong...", "I was buried and rotting...", "Lightning!...", "Tonight there are no limits...")

• Saleem's recitation of Rumi in Farsi, with accompaniment from Regula and Michael, perhaps with some tar

• Geha's dance-recitations: various poems, with violin, nay, tar, accompaniments.

• Whirling dervishes projected onto screen (run throughout, but sound down) while Indian group settles in, transition to

• Indian ensemble performance, followed by

• Whirling dervishes projected while stage is reset for Kreisha (this should just be a matter of moving some of the equipment already on stage for Indian ensemble)

• Kreisha's performance

---start intermission---

(video of whirling dervishes runs with sound up)

---end intermission---

PART II

(stage is set for MENAME, Mehdi, and Persian group)

• Blackout...enter Geha's dance-recitations, part II (with violin and tabla) opens second half, followed by

• Middle Eastern and North African ensemble (MENAME)

• Mehdi Samadi (solo) (poetry of Rumi; recites poetry then sings it)

• Persian group (including poetry of Rumi; recited first)

• Video of whirling dervishes, while stage is set up for WAME...WAME group comes out and waits...

• Geha: very short Rumi recitation with nay and tar, themes of ecstasy of the dance, then:

• West African ensemble (WAME). Following their performance, all WAME members come and sit at the front edge of the stage.

• Geha: final Rumi recitations (very short) involving some West African percussion along with her other musicians --- to conclude the program.