Unhome

For orchestra

I. Concept

Unhome (ناخانه) for orchestra, explores the gradual loss of the sense of home as a place of safety and belonging, leading to a breakdown of personal identity. This refers to a state in which the physical structure of a dwelling remains, while its function as a place of safety and shelter is gradually lost. The familiar space of the home becomes a source of anxiety and alienation, creating a sense of being separated from one’s own surroundings.

The concept of the piece is reflected in its musical process. The main musical idea is not presented directly at the beginning. Instead, different fragments and cells derived from the same source material are transformed and developed in different musical contexts. The main idea gradually becomes more recognizable, appears directly in the middle of the piece, and is then followed by a process in which the musical materials and their relationships begin to disintegrate.

II. Main Material and Modal Process

The main musical material of the work is derived from a vocal phrase by Mohammad-Reza Shajarian in “Saz va Avaz se” from the album Astan-e Janan. The original vocal phrase begins in Dashti on E and cadences in Shur on A. This material serves as the main source for the melodic cells and motifs throughout the piece.

From the main material, an eight-note pitch collection is extracted:

A – B half-flat – C – D – E half-flat – E natural – F – G

This collection occupies a central position in the modal process of the piece and serves as its modal destination. The work does not begin with this collection. Instead, the opening sections move through different synthetic modes and modal spaces, each developed in relation to a particular cell or fragment of the source material.

Each episode is therefore shaped by a different part of the main material. The characteristic pitch content of each selected cell contributes to the formation of its modal space, and this modal space in turn influences the texture, orchestration, rhythmic character, and overall atmosphere of the episode.

In the first part of the piece, elements derived from Persian music are not directly present. In particular, the half-flat inflections inspired by the Koron are introduced only later in the work. The opening therefore develops through a more contemporary Western post-tonal language, including chromaticism, synthetic modes, and changing modal centers. As the piece progresses, the modal process gradually moves toward the extracted collection, and the elements derived from Persian music become more apparent.

III. Formal Structure and Musical Development

The formal structure of Unhome combines episodic organization with an original formal design. The beginning of the piece presents a series of contrasting musical situations. Although the episodes are different from one another, each develops a particular fragment of the source material within its own modal environment. The first part of the work therefore creates a structure in which the listener can distinguish between different sections while still sensing an underlying connection between them.

In the fourth episode, the musical language begins to change from within the existing musical environment. Elements derived from Persian music, including the half-flat inflections inspired by the Koron, gradually enter the texture while the general orchestration and atmosphere of the episode remain related to what came before. The main vocal idea is then presented directly for the first time in cello.

This presentation does not lead to a final resolution or stable state. Instead, it marks the beginning of a new stage in the piece. After the appearance of the main idea, the musical materials gradually become fragmented and combined with one another. The modal organization, texture, and formal relationships also become increasingly unstable. The musical elements that were previously connected through the source material no longer function as a stable system. The piece ends in an unresolved and suspended state rather than returning to a stable point of arrival.

Unhoming
/ʌnˈhəʊ.mɪŋ/

1. The transformation of a dwelling into a source of constant anxiety; a state of perpetual insecurity marked by the profound fear that one’s immediate shelter is unstable and liable to collapse. 2. The dissolution of the psychological attributes of “home,” resulting in a feeling of being unsheltered despite having a physical roof overhead. 3. The resulting disintegration of personal identity and sense of belonging, leading to internal statelessness or exile within one’s own space.