Samat (for Violin and Cello)

Composer: Soheil Shirangi
Year of Creation: December 2019
First Recording: Ali Jafari Pouyan (Violin), Mehrdad Alemi (Cello) — Recorded at Saba Studio by Marjan Masoumi
Mix & Mastering: Hami Haghighi • Cover Art: Parsa Sotoudeh • Label: Sheed Records
Second Recording (January 2022): Oliver Page (Violin), Brian Bromberg (Cello)
Listen on Spotify | Watch on YouTube

Samat is a musical narrative inspired by the deeply humanistic and mystical worldview of Jalal al-Din Rumi (Molana), one of the most profound voices of Persian literature and Sufism. The title, Samat, refers to a traditional Persian term meaning “shared table” or “feast,” symbolizing hospitality, community, and spiritual gathering. Here, the idea of the musical table becomes a metaphor for unity—where diverse voices meet in a dialogue of compassion and mutual recognition.

The work was born from contemplation on two verses by Rumi:

صد دریغ و درد کین عاریتی / امتان را دور کرد از امتی
Alas, how bitter it is that this borrowed thing / Has distanced the peoples from the unity of the community.

من غلام آن که او در هر رباط / خویش را واصل نداند بر سماط
I am the servant of the one who, in every inn / Does not consider himself truly present at the table.

These lines evoke the human soul’s estrangement from its spiritual source and the humility required for true unity. Samat reflects this journey through a dialogue between violin and cello—two contrasting yet intertwined voices. At times, their conversation is tender and searching; at others, intense and restless, suggesting both harmony and dissonance in the pursuit of connection.

The music blends contemporary chamber techniques with the modal color and rhythmic subtleties of Iranian music. Drone-like passages and ornamented gestures recall the dastgah tradition, while non-linear development and extended techniques create a distinctly modern sound world. The structure unfolds organically, like a path toward reconciliation—moments of tension giving way to stillness, and fleeting resolution emerging through dialogue.

Ultimately, Samat is a meditation on exile, humility, and the yearning for shared humanity. It transforms Rumi’s vision of divine love into sound—love that transcends borders, languages, and egos, finding meaning not in final arrival but in the act of seeking itself.