Sharhe (for Orchestra)
Composer: Soheil Shirangi
Duration: 8’30”
Year of Creation: Winter 2019 • Last Edit: June 2019
Instrumentation:
Piccolo, Flute, Oboe, Cor Anglais, Clarinet in Bb, Bass Clarinet in Bb, Bassoon
Horn in F (2), Trumpet in Bb, Trombone
Timpani, Harp
Violin I, Violin II, Viola, Cello, Contrabass
Award:
Diploma of Third Place – 2nd International Symphony Orchestra Contest for Young Composers from the CIS Countries and Eastern Europe named after Michal Kleofas Oginski
Molodechno, Republic of Belarus — June 2020
Performance:
Spring 2021 — Honored Band of the Republic of Belarus, Symphony Orchestra of the Molodechno State Music College named after M.K. Oginski
Organizers:
Russian Musical Union • International Guild of Young Musicians • MolOt International Group • Belarusian-Russian Association of Contemporary Music • Belarusian Society of Contemporary Music
Sharhe (“Explanation”) is a musical meditation on the emotional and spiritual weight of separation. It was inspired by Rumi’s verse:
سینه خواهم شرحه شرحه از فراق
تا بگویم شرحِ دردِ اشتیاق
I need a heart split open by separation,
So I may speak of the pain of longing.
This poem moved me to compose a work for all who, for any reason, are distant from their loved ones—whether by geography, circumstance, or time.
Composed in the winter of 2019, Sharhe emerged from a period of introspection and emotional reflection. Rather than a literal narrative, it is an abstract exploration of what cannot be expressed in words: the fragmentation of identity, the echo of memory, and the silent resilience of the human spirit. The piece unfolds in a single continuous movement, shaped by three emotional phases:
Disconnection – Sparse textures and isolated instrumental lines evoke solitude and loss.
Echoes – Fragments of motifs and unstable harmonies mirror memory, hesitation, and unanswered questions.
Transformation – A shift toward lyrical expression, suggesting acceptance and inner peace, though never full resolution.
The harmonic and textural language fuses contemporary Western orchestral colors with minimalist clarity and subtle Persian influences. Ornamented melodic gestures and resonant intervals recall Persian modes, yet are reinterpreted in a modern orchestral context. The harp and strings create fluid transitions, while winds and brass act as voices of remembrance and renewal.
Sharhe is both personal and universal—a reflection on the distance between hearts and the hope that connection endures beyond borders. It invites listeners into a space of empathy and contemplation, where absence becomes sound, and longing transforms into light.
