Document Reading | All Sessions

Radio Radif Thursdays, Season Two: Document Reading – Analyzing Ten Unique Documents in Iranian Music

In its second season, the Radio Radif Thursdays sessions will feature expert analyses of ten document collections over ten sessions. Each session will include a museum-style viewing of the original document, a visual presentation of the collection, and a detailed critique and examination by specialists invited by Payvar Foundation.

Concept & Session Director: Ali Samadpour

Document Reading Coordinator: Arvin Sedaghatkish

Number of Sessions: 9

Schedule: One session per month, held on Thursdays from 18:00 to 20:00 (lasting 90 to 120 minutes)

Expert Panel

• Mir Alireza Mirali Naqi – Historian, analyst, critic, and the first professional music journalist in Iran
• Mohammad Reza Sharaeili – Music history researcher specializing in the history of recorded music in Iran
• Ali Samadpour – Composer, Tar player, and music researcher

Session 1: Faramarz Payvar’s Transcription of Mosa Ma’roofi’s Radif (with Narrator Annotations)

Faramarz Payvar transcribed this document from Mosa Ma’roofi’s manuscripts. A unique feature of this version is Payvar’s annotations (likely guided by Ma’roofi), which specify the narrators of each section of the Radif. This Radif comprises accounts from Mirza Abdollah, Mirza Hosseingholi, Darvish Khan, and Montazem-ol Hokama, with Payvar recording the narrator’s name at the beginning of each section.

Date & Time: March 9, 2025, 18:00–20:00 [The first session has been held and the commentary related will be published soon.]

Venue: IranShahr Book City (Map)

Session 2: Lotfollah Mofakham Payan

Lotfollah Mofakham Payan’s manuscripts document the performances, narratives, compositions, and teaching methodologies of Abolhasan Saba and Mosa Ma’roofi. The depth, precision, and dedication he demonstrated in preserving and publishing these works are noteworthy.

Date & Time: will be announced soon

Venue: IranShahr Book City (Map)

Session 3: Abolhasan Saba’s Manuscripts

Abolhasan Saba was one of the pioneers in collecting Radif music, rhythmic pieces, and regional melodies. However, access to his handwritten notes and recording techniques has been rare. Payvar Foundation holds a remarkable collection of Saba’s manuscripts and will facilitate an in-depth review of these invaluable documents.

Session 4: Payvar’s Transcription of Mehdi Khaledi’s Works

Faramarz Payvar meticulously transcribed a collection of Mehdi Khaledi’s compositions. This session will explore Khaledi’s influence and his profound impact on contemporary musicians, including Payvar.

Session 5: Payvar’s Transcription of Majid Vafadar’s Works

Majid Vafadar, despite his mastery and talent in Persian music, has faded into historical obscurity. Payvar documented part of his compositions, offering a unique opportunity to revisit and reexamine his contributions.

Session 6: Ahmad Pejman’s Manuscripts

The preserved works and manuscripts of Ahmad Pejman, housed in the Payvar Foundation, will be introduced and analyzed in this session.

Session 7: Faramarz Payvar’s Group Performances

Many of Payvar’s manuscripts consist of partitions for ensemble performances, primarily documenting the parts for national instruments. This session will examine several of these ensemble compositions and, for the first time, present rare audio recordings from Roudaki Hall performances that have never been publicly heard before.

Session 8: Transcriptions of Mirza Hosseingholi’s Radif by Farhad Arjangi & Faramarz Payvar

A handwritten Radif transcription by Farhad Arjangi suggests collaboration with Faramarz Payvar. In Payvar Foundation, two versions of this Radif exist—one in pencil and another in pen, the latter of unknown authorship. This session will compare Payvar and Arjangi’s handwriting, offering intriguing insights, and discuss the possible identity of the anonymous scribe.

Session 9: A Personal Radif Notation by Hassan Mashhoon

Few are aware that Hassan Mashhoon, known for his History of Iranian Music, was closely associated with influential musicians of his time and had a personal understanding of music. His handwritten notes, donated by Amirbanu Amiri Firouzkouhi to the Payvar Foundation, contain significant Radif lists from Hossein Hangafarin and Haj Agha Mojarrad Irani, as well as a unique personal method of Radif notation never before seen in Iranian music history.

Session 10: Payvar’s Transcription of Habib Samaei’s Radif

Faramarz Payvar’s unparalleled mastery of Persian musical heritage is reflected in his meticulous transcription of Habib Samaei’s Radif, narrated by Samaei’s students. Housed in the Payvar Foundation, this manuscript provides a crucial comparison to Tali’eh Kamran’s published narration, making it an essential document for confirming and preserving this Radif.