User talk:Pooladable

'''

Duo Santoor
'''

Iranian string fantasies
The santoor is an old Persian form of the zither, related to the dulcimer, the Hungarian cymbal and the Greek santouri. It can have up to 72 strings, which are struck with small wooden sticks. In Iranian art music, the santoori is recognised as a noble and intimate instrument and is therefore usually played solo or in small ensembles. In 2001, two music students met at the University of Art in Tehran.

They were both virtually electrified by the santoor, and wanted to extend the Persian zither’s expression through creating a duo. Hardly any adequate pieces existed for such a duo, however. The “Duo Santoor” is therefore the first ever Iranian ensemble which professionally composes and arranges for two santoors and that picks up the instrument’s originality: the extremely fast stroke by the sticks demands a dense interlocking of both musicians’ playing, and the enduring sound of the strings creates a floating polyphony.

After finishing their studies in Teheran in 2006 the musicians decided to continue their studies in France and Germany respectively, in order to further explore the possibilities of the Persian zither in “Duo Santoor.”

Rouzbeh Motia, santoor

Poolad Torkamanrad, santoor