Tazyieh Rendition
This composition is meant to mirror the drama that ensued in the Tazyieh that depicts Hussein’s martyrdom at Karbala. The piece starts in a slow and sorrowful tone to reflect the lamentations of Hussein at the beginning of the excerpt where he express great sorrow at the fact that he has no one to fight with him and his son has been killed. The music then gets louder and more agitated and this is meant to signify the abuse that Shimar and the rest of the enemy pour on Hussein, basically taunting him, which then deepens his lamentations and the music becomes slow and sorrowful again. When Hussein and his party realized that they are trapped on both sides by Yazid’s troops with no escape, the music tries to mirror that and becomes a bit more purposeful again but is more restless and is not allowed to drift too far to extreme octaves signifying the situation of Hussein. The music then moves into a more lyrical and melodic section which describes the dialogue that ensues between Hussein and the visitor who has brought water for Hussein’s daughter. This is a moment of temporary reprieve in the story as the dialogue is no longer one of pity but Hussein’s strength and spirit is displayed as he proclaims his lineage and the power that he has through God. After this visitor leaves, the Darwish army then comes to Hussein’s side responding to his cries for help. Here, the music tries to imitate the sound of horses galloping and the dialogue that takes place between the Darwish leader and Hussein. The army after that is turned back and the music slows down and assumes a steady rhythm as Yazid’s forces start to stone Hussein. As Hussein is subdued and comes under the mercy of Shimar, the last passage in the composition is a quiet and melodic section that tries to express the beauty of Hussein’s act of martydom, and reflects a mix of sorrow at his demise but also joy due to his heroic deed.