Sufi's Saraband

Sufi's Saraband invites you on a mystical journey where music, poetry and Sufi dance intertwine to evoke spiritual ecstasy and the quest for the absolute. Performed by The Modal Experience ensemble, this creation explores the deep connections between Eastern musical traditions and the Western Baroque heritage, weaving a soundscape where Persian modality and Baroque ornamentation respond to each other with grace and refinement.

At the heart of this show, the fiery verses of Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī, a 13th-century Sufi poet, meet the committed and sensual writings of Forough Farrokhzad, a major figure in contemporary Iranian poetry. Two sensibilities, two eras, but the same celebration of desire, love and transcendence.

Inspired by the art of samâ, the dance of the whirling dervishes, Sufi's Saraband offers a visual and auditory journey of inner quest, where music becomes prayer and dance becomes meditation in motion. Rana Gorgani's spellbinding dance accompanies Aida Nosrat's deep singing, while the dialogue between Eastern and Western instruments – archlute, harpsichord, lyra, santur, zarb and daf – reveals an incredibly rich sound palette.

Under the direction of Keyvan Chemirani, these musical traditions merge into a free language, where improvisation and rigour come together to transport us to a state of intoxication and ecstasy. Between fire and contemplation, between East and West, Sufi's Saraband is a celebration of mystical beauty, a spellbinding sarabande where your souls will dance in unison with those of the artists.