Australian Music Centre | Breaking sound barriers

Event Details

The traditional Iranian craft of Panbe Zani faded with the advent of machinery. Panbe Zan (the cotton beater) had a unique tool, a bow-shaped instrument with a string attached, that used the vibration of the string to fluff up cotton to make a futon comfortable. The custom occurred as the new year was approaching to freshen the household. The melodious voice of the Panbe Zan, rhythmical strikes of the string, and dance of the cotton in the backyard evoked nostalgia and pleasant memories for Iranians. The tradition symbolized warmth, newness, and togetherness.

Mirzeinali’s experimental opera follows the ritualised process of the cotton beating and extends upon its distinctive sounds. The unique tool, the Panbe Zan’s bow, has been replicated in various sizes to form a buzzing chorus of curious instruments, while these near-forgotten sounds have been captured and reconfigured into an evocative electronic soundscape.

Modern Western Art Music meets traditional Persian music in this immersive staged experience.

PROGRAM

Shervin Mirzeinali (born 1992)
Panbe Zan (The Cotton Beater)
I. Laaf doziye
II. Fluffing up
III. Tea break
IV. Assembly
V. Tailor
VI. Slumber
VII. Dance of Cotton

PERFORMERS

Marjan Lotfali, Theatre director
Mahsa Shaker, Stage manager

Ali Elhami-Manesh, Actor (Panbe Zan)
Parisa Mansouri, Actor
Mohammad Hamed Janali, Actor
Baha Jamali, Actor
Maedeh Dezhbod, Actor
Fereshteh Mehrnia, Actor
Nahid Farsi, Tailor

Agnes Sarkis, Soprano
Danial Bozorgi, Tenor
Majid Amani, Dotar
Ehsan Kachooei, Setar
Ali Yarmohammadi, Tar
Arman Gouniaei, Tar/Tombak/Daf
Maximillian Alduca, Double Bass
Harry Birch, Double Bass

Further information for this event is available online at the event's website or by phone on (02) 9351 1438 or by email to shervin.mirzeinali@gmail.com

Featured Australian Works

Featured artists

• Music of Shervin Mirzeinali