In
Remembrance of Ostad Nasser Farhangfar (1947-1997)
Peyman
Nasehpour © 2001
Ostad Nasser Farhangfar was a brilliant poet and calligrapher as well
as a great tonbak artist. The above poem is one of the most famous verses
composed by him. Maybe it can be translated to:
We
wrote at the Gate of the Existence:
The sorrow of not having camaraderie killed us!
This genius
of tonbak has added the most favorite style of tonbak playing after the
father of modern tonbak, Ostad Hosain Tehrani. Many artists have praised
his style. Some of his compositions are more attractive than the melodies,
which his tonbak accompanies. Therefore you concentrate on the tonbak
involuntary. Here there are some lines in remembrance of this great man.
He started
learning tonbak at the early age of nine. In 1972 he had started creating
his style and promoting it in Iran. At this time the great master of tonbak,
Ostad Hosain Tehrani was sick and had recorded his last performance: rhythms
of zourkhaneh. The father of modern tonbak, Ostad Tehrani passed away
in 1974.
In 1973 Ostad
Farhangfar had some concerts in Belgium. Then in 1975 he moved to New
York, because he had been invited by Robert Wilson in order to collaborate
with his theater group. He returned to Tehran the same year and started
collaborating with Shayda and Aref Ensembles. This collaboration continued
until 1984. In 1984 he and Mohammad Reza Lotfi (tar player) had a private
recording; believed by many of his students to be the best musical performance
of Ostad Farhangfar.
During these
12 years (1972-1984) he created a new style of playing tonbak and attracted
many followers. After 1984 he preferred to stay at home and teach his
students of tonbak. When someday I asked him: "Ostad why have
you stayed at home and why you don't perform in any concerts?"
He replied: "My job is done! Now is the time for the young players
to flourish." He was young to say farewell to the world of musical
performance. Then he recited the following verses of Hafiz:
To
him that hath chosen solitude, of the spectacle is what need?
When the street of the Beloved is, of the desert is what need?
Hafiz! End thy verse: for skill itself becometh clear:
Disputation and contention with the pretender is what need?
Here I should
mention to a point. In Persian we call him who has chosen solitude, "Khalvat-Gozideh"
which is the title of an album, which was produced in 1991 that he performed
one of his tonbak solos.
Some days
before his demise he phoned my father and said: "I have composed
some poems. Do you like me to recite them for you?" After his call
my father said to me: "He has composed very nice poems. Maybe someday
I will sing them."
He passed
away on August 14th, 1997, while he was only 50.
May he always
be brought happily to mind!
July 29th,
2001.