The Naghmeh Esfahan(Bayat-Esfahan)
Asfahan,capital of Iran during the brilliant safavid(sixteeth through eighteen centuries) ,is architecturally the most beautiful city in Iran,and tha saying( Esfahan nesfe Jehan) (Esfahan is half the world). The name Esfahan is found in lists dastgah-ha used duringthe medieval period in Iran ,Surprisingly,the scale is not too dissimlar from that used today.
Az given by the thirteen-century theorist safi al-Din it is C D EP F G AP Bb B# C.
The present scale of Esfhan,derived from the fourth degree of its parent dastgah,Homayon,is F G Ab Bb C Dp E F ,or C D Eb F G Ap B C, a harmonic minor scale with the sixth degree raised a quarter tone. Important Gusheh-ha of Esfhan are Bayat rajeh on the second scale degree or oshag on the fifth. The latter gusheh is similar to the gusheh oshag in dashti and homayon. Rast for Esfhan is D for tar and settar, C for santur and D for kamanchy(classical persian musical instrumetns). |
