A Study on Functions and Practical Manners of Connection Elements throughout the Gushehs of Dastgah-e Homayun from the MirzaAbdollah Radif

Concerning some quotes of masters and scholars of Radif and evidence in Dastgahs, as well as the similar point in treatises of the pre-Dastgah system, it seems there are numerous kinds of connecting items in a Dastgah. Therefore, this research was implemented to find the relationships between the components of Dastgah-e Homayun from the MirzaAbdollah Radif. Homayun is one of seven Dastgahs that includes many Gushehs in various modes. The score employed in the analysis of this Dastgah in this article had been transcribed by Dariush Talai. He has written it regarding NurAli Borumand’s interpretation. In this Dastgah the relationships were found to occur generally in three states: “between two Gushehs”, “between one Gusheh and a modal region” and “a Gusheh and the pivotal mode of Dastgah named Daramad.” To analyze the main issue, it needed to define “connection elements” as a primary definition. This item contains two main categories as a practical manner to show a connection. One group is overt elements, and the other which conforms to a principle is about resolving the dissonance factors. In the first group, there are some items as playing: “a common note or a shifting between two certain notes”, “similar rhythmic or melodic phrases”, “similar cadence” and “in a common modal ambiance.” The second item is about the changing notes and modulated Gushehs. The previous author’s research on dissonance factors proposes that the changing notes resulted from varying the notes for resolving a non-perfect fourth interval between the notes of a Dastgah to a perfect fourth one.
In describing connections items in Gushehs of Dastgah-e Homayun, it found a collection of serial or/and parallel relationships coincidentally. As a most important result, one of the most practical functions of connection elements is for predisposing a change in the next Gusheh or Gushehs. As well, it was uncovered that the cadence of Gushehs with a modal region that was far from Daramad occurs in two steps or a different Gusheh, e.g. in Bidad mode. Almost all the connection elements exist in the cadence of the previous Gusheh and the introductory phrase of the next one. For that, a criterion is defined to indicate the cadence zone of a Gusheh. It is worth mentioning that in an analysis of Mavalian, the limitation of the third string of Tar in the playing was found to be effective.