Rast

In Rast, a piece from a cycle of compositions centered on the maqams of Arabic classical music, I sought to explore an image of balance and perfection that animates the structure of this mode—also known as Al-mustaqeem, which translates to “the balanced one.”
My desire to engage with the sonic and poetic substance of this maqam first arose from the physiological sensation its listening evoked in me: an impression of inevitability, rooted in a mystery that draws the ear inward.
Later, a conversation with composer and performer Christine Zayed deepened my understanding of this mode: a maqam built upon an initial pentachord, at the heart of which lies a first quarter tone that perfectly balances its intervallic structure. This is articulated with a tetrachord—incorporating a second quarter tone—that calls for the same equilibrium when the maqam unfolds into its upper octave.
Rast was thus composed in resonance with these elements, as a prayer.
A prayer for the balance of our world.
A prayer for peace.
A prayer that rises like a song, toward the higher octave of our humanity.