ORCHESTRA REACHES FOR HARMONY WITH IRAN
By Najmeh Bozorgmehr in Tehran

FT
August 29 2007 02:26

It is hard to imagine why a prominent western musician would wish to
get involved in diplomatic efforts with an Islamic state that has an
ambivalent relationship, at best, with music.

But that is what Michael Dreyer, from Osnabruck, in Germany, has
done. He overcame opposition at home to bring his 63-member symphony
orchestra to perform works by Beethoven, Elgar and Brahms at the Vahdat
Hall, Iran’s premier venue for classical music, over the next two days.

The ensemble is the biggest European orchestra to visit Iran since
the 1979 Islamic revolution, when many traditional clerics professed
disapproval of music as something sinful that distanced people
from God.

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the revolution, was not
particularly opposed to music, but failed to offer a clear policy
that his successors could follow. This has led to anomalies in which,
for instance, music can be heard on state television but musical
instruments are not shown.

The founder and executive director of the Morgenland Festival
Osnabruck, Mr Dreyer is hoping music can help ease tensions between
Tehran and the west over Iran’s nuclear programme. He said his mission
was all about trying to stop a possible military confrontation.

"If Iran is bombed, it would be the biggest imaginable disaster for
the world," he said. He hoped the concerts would draw attention to
"real life in Iran". This was far different from how it was portrayed.

Thursday night’s audience of 800 will include selected Iranian
officials including the culture minister, but President Mahmoud
Ahmadi-Nejad is not expected to attend. The German orchestra had faced
criticism at home over the visit because of the Iranian president’s
public questioning of the Holocaust.

The event has attracted little attention in the Iranian
media. Classical is far less popular than western pop music in Iran,
where stars such as Madonna are widely listened to by young people.

Mr Ahmadi-Nejad’s government supports "learned music" which, according
to Mohammad-Hossein Ahmadi, the director-general for music and poetry
in the culture ministry, "has its roots in the land but looks up to
the sky and helps define human beings’ responsibilities to reach God".

Majid Entezami, the Iranian composer of about 100 film scores and five
symphonies, defined "learned music" as something that has "a proper
framework, does not create unreal cheerfulness, makes you think and
is closer to mysticism".

Musicians hope that by composing symphonies on Islamic themes they can
"help reconcile religious people with music and take away the poison",
said Mr Entezami.

The popularity of this kind of music was demonstrated this month in
Tehran when Loris Tjeknavorian, an Armenian conductor, performed his
symphony Messenger of Love and Hope.

The work – which starts with God, moves to the birth of Jesus,
then to the Prophet Mohammed and ends in the return of Shia’s hidden
imam – was attended by the highest number of officials of any recent
musical event.

But many musicians think any push for greater acceptance could backfire
in a deeply religious society.

"Let’s be realistic: this is a country where some people don’t watch
television so as to avoid music," said Nader Mashayekhi, Tehran
Symphony Orchestra’s conductor, who co-organised the visit by the
Osnabruck group.