Abjad Dream

The music resources from medieval Iran are notated in a unique system called Abjad. Theoreticians and musicians from the mentioned period were used to designate one letter from the alphabet to each finger position on the fretboard of the instruments, and the exact size between the intervals was expressed as rational numbers.

As an artistic researcher at the NMH, I have encountered many treaties written between the 9th and 15th centuries in Iran. Translating the pitch organization and the theoretical contents of each book, written in the Abjad system, into the modern European notation systems brought me the idea of a journey through different tuning systems. By colliding my findings, I have decided to create my own sonic space, my own Abjad dream, a place of safety, magic, and an unnaturally intriguing, unique tuning world.

• Martyna Kosecka (piano)
• Idin Samimi Mofakham (electronics)