Persian music is as fine, subtle, and beautiful as a Persian carpet, and yet for the most part it has remained unknown in the West. It has unique aesthetic qualities quite different from Western music. It is monophonic, undramatic, and mostly solo, with rich modal variety and melodic subtlety--an intimate music of the spirit most appreciated by the initiated. This book provides the keys and definitions essential for understanding Persian music: its history, instruments, repertory, organisation, rhythms, and modes (or dastaghs). Through quotes and anecdotes by and about masters past and present, the reader can grasp the ethos, spirit, and philosophy of Persian music. Filled with exquisite illustrations of instruments and musicians from museums around the world, as well poetry and calligraphy, this volume will introduce the enthusiast both to the whole aesthetic of Persian art and the art of Persian music. Although it is based on the most recent scholarship, this book is intended for the general audience. All details superfluous to the general reader have been

    Kyle was involved in every stage of the Iran hostage rescue operation. As Desert-1 Commander, he alone bore responsibility for the courageous mission. Now Colonel Kyle spares no one, including himself, in this riveting account that takes readers from the initial brainstorming sessions and training camps to the desert rehearsals, the forward staging areas in Egypt and Oman, and finally to the desert refueling site, where he decided to abort.Colonel Kyle provides honest answers to tough questions: Why were the pilots caught totally off guard by the weather? How did the CIA contribute to the mission’s breakdown? And could such a failure happen again? The Guts to Try is a thrilling true-life adventure story–exploring America’s ability to react quickly, forcefully, and effectively to acts of terrorism.From the Paperback edition.

    Each dastgah represents a complex of skeletal melodic models on the basis of which a performer produces extemporised pieces. The dastgahs revolve around unspecified central nuclear melodies which the individual musician comes to know through experience and absorption. It is a personal and elusive tradition of great subtlety and depth. Through extensive research, including interviews with leading musicians and recording over one hundred hours of music, Hormoz Farhat has unravelled the art of the dastgah. In his study Professor Farhat analyses the intervallic structure, melodic patterns, modulations, and improvisations within each dastgah, and examines the composed pieces which have become a part of the classical repertoire in recent times.

    As Prime Minister of Iran between 1951 and 1953 he nationalized the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, led the nation's defiant attempt to run its oil industry independently during an economic blockade, and attempted to strengthen the role of parliament in Iraq. Mussadiq's crusade led to conflict with powerful foreign interests, and in 1953 the CIA, at British instigation, removed him in a coup d'état which restored the Shah's absolute powers.This book is a full-scale biography of Musaddiq which also charts the history of the Popular Movement from Mussadiq's downfall in 1953 to his death in 1967.

    

    Includes Black Dome from The Seven Beauties.