Faramarz Payvar

Master Farāmarz Pāyvar (PerB|فرامرز پایور, born Tehran - February 10 - 1933) is an Iranian composer and santur player.

Biography

Farāmarz Pāyvar was born in 1932 in Tehran into an aristocratic and musical family, which was also famous for serving the court. His grandfather, Moìavaroldoleh, was a renowned painter in the court of Nāseraldin Shah. He also, was a fine musician and played the violin, the Setar and the Santur. His father, Ali Pāyvar, was both a painter and Professor of French at the University of Tehran. Pāyvar's mother was also interested in the arts in general and music in particular. She was aware of her son's talent and encouraged him to play the instrument.

Pāyvar started to demonstrate his musical talent in his earlier years and he gradually realised that he wanted to become a musician and an artist. At the age of 17 when he finished his studies at Dārolfonūn High School, he began his musical career, studying with Abol-Hasan Sabā (1902-1957). He studied the Radif repertory and played the Santur with Sabā for eight years before he graduated from his mastership class.

Pāyvar was highly skilled on the Santur and soon became very famous. After Sabā's death he began to study with four other masters: Nur-Ali Borumand, Roknoldin Mokhtāri, Abdollah Davami, and Haji Āqā Mohamad Irani. Pāyvar began his co-operation with the Iranian Department of Art and Culture in 1954 and established an orchestra called "The Art and Culture Orchestra"in that department. He invited famous musicians to join his orchestra. They included Hosein Tehrāni (Master of Iranian drum, Tombak), Khàtere Parvàneh (Master of traditional singing), Hūshang Zarif (master of plucked instrument, tar), Mohammad-Reza Shajarian (singer), Rahmatolàh Badiee (Mster of Iranian fiddle, kamānčeh), and Abdol-Vahàb Shahidi (singer).

Pàyvar had always been a serious and thoughtful man, and a disciplined musician. He always advised his disciples to practise every day without fail and he used to play at least four hours a day. A basic part of Pāyvar's process of learning composition (he studied composition with Malek Aìlāniān and Hosein Dehlavi), was the traditional method of imitating and emulating the outstanding achievements of earlier masters, with a view, where possible, of integrating their resources for use as a springboard for further development. A practical way of achieving this goal was to compose in the same forms as great masters. These forms included the Pisdarāmad (introduction or interlude) and Reng (dance). Pàyvar's models were Vaziri and Sabà and he also particularly admired Hosein Tehràni (a Tombak virtuoso). He used to talk about their ‘morality and virtuosity’ as well as their knowledge of music. Pāyvar also played the setàr and was impressed by his teacher Sabà, who was a virtuoso Setar player. Pàyvar later published a book for Tar and Setar in 1996.

In 1958, Pāyvar began to teach the Santur at The National Music Conservatory which was established by Vaziri. Four years later, in 1962, Pāyvar received a scholarship from the Department in which he was teaching, and went to England to study English. He graduated with a Graduate Diploma in English from Cambridge University in 1965. At the same time he studied Western music at the Royal Academy of Music in London, and there he lectured on Iranian music and also made some recordings, which are heard nowadays on BBC radio programmes in the Persian language. Pāyvar has performed in many countries, including the USA, Germany, England, Sweden, France, Japan, Italy, Malaysia, and Russia, and is known around the world as a great Santur virtuoso and composer.

Works

* Concertino for santūr and Orchestra (Pāyvar-Dehlavi) (1958)
* The Radif of Sabā for Santur in three volumes by F. Pāyvar and Dāryūš Ìafvat (FerdowsiPublication,Tehran) (1958)
* Dialogue (Goftegū), duet for Santur and violin (1959)
* Preliminary book in Santur playing (Māhūr Publication, Tehran) (1960)
* Thirty Chāhārmezrāb for the Santur(Department of Art and Culture Publication, Tehran) (1971)
* The second book of the Radif of Sabā for Santur by F. Pāyvar and Dāryūš Ìafvat (Ferdowsi Publication,Tehran) (1974)
* Eight musical pieces for the Santur (Department of Art and Culture Publication, Tehran) (1979)
* Parniān, duet for Santur and Tār (1980)
* Radif Chapkūk for Santur (in women's voice registration) for the santur (1981)
* A collection of pishdarāmad and Rengs (1981)
* A collection of pishdarāmad and Rengs (arranged for the violin) (1982)
* Chamber music for Santūr (1982)
* Fānūs, duet for two Santurs (1982)
* Theory of Western and Iranian music (1983)
* Reng-e šahrāšūb (1984)
* Elementary Radif for Santur (1988)
* Rahgozar, duet for santur and flute (Otāqe Čāp Publication, Tehran) (1989)
* The Vocal Radif and old Tasnifs, according to the version of Abdollah Davami, Collected by F. Pāyvar.(Māhūr Publication, Tehran) (1998)
* Fālgūš, seven pieces for Santur (Māhūr Publication, Tehran) (2000)

ome of Discography

* Improvisation in dašti and afšāri, F. Pāyvar, santur and A. Tehrāni, Tombak.
* Album Yādegāri (the memorial album) in dastgāhs šūr and segāh, F. Pāyvar, santur and M. Esmāili, Tombak.
* Goftegū (dialogue), duets for santūr and other instruments composed by F. Pāyvar
* In memorial of Habib Samai, F. Pāyvar, Santūr solo in dastgāhs šūr and čhāhārgāh.
* Dašti concert. Pāyvar ensemble and Shajariān (vocal)
* Dele Šeidā, Pāyvar Ensemble and Nāóeri (vocal).
* Bayāt-e Kord: F. Pāyvar, santūr and H. Tehrani, Tombak in dastgāh Bayāt-e Kord and solo Tombak in various rhythm improvised by Tehrani.
* Šahrāšūb, F. Pāyvar, santūr solo in šūr, abū atā and dašti. Mahur
* Iranian folk music, arranged by F. Pāyvar. Pāyvar Ensemble and Simā Binā (vocal).
* Hekāyate Del, in dastgāh šūr. Pāyvar Ensemble with A. Rostamiān (vocal).
* Mahūr and Segāh, Masters Ensemble conducted by F. Pāyvar and Shahidi (vocal).
* Rahāvard, played by Masters, J. Shahnāz, tār, M. Esmāili, Tombak, and F. Pāyvar, Santur.
* Kerešme, in dastgāhs segāh and afšāri, played by Pāyvar Ensemble.

References

* Noory, Siamak (Qmars Piraglu) "Farāmarz Pāyvar and his place in Iranian music"/ Thesis (M.Mus.)--University of Melbourne, 2002

External links

* [http://www.musicartists.info/Faramarz-e_Payvar_2284.html Short Bio]