An Analysis of the Vocal Structure of the Shajarian School Based on the Concept of Difference and Repetition from the Perspective of Gilles Deleuze’s Thought

Abstract

This study was conducted to examine the vocal structure of the Shajarian school based on the concept of Difference and Repetition in the philosophy of Gilles Deleuze (Deleuze, 1994). The central problem addresses whether this vocal structure can be understood not merely as a series of formal repetitions and radif-based patterns, but rather as a process that generates difference within repetition itself. Accordingly, the main research question investigates how the vocal structure of the Shajarian school produces creative and distinctive difference through melodic repetition. The primary objective of the study is to clarify the internal mechanisms of this vocal structure through Deleuzian key concepts such as difference, repetition, and becoming, conceptualizing it as a dynamic system capable of producing an original artistic work (“difference of difference”), with a particular focus on the works of Master Mohammad-Reza Shajarian. The research adopts a qualitative methodology of a descriptive–analytical nature with a comparative approach. Data were collected through the analysis of selected vocal samples from prominent performances within this school, alongside a theoretical examination of Deleuzian philosophical sources. The findings indicate that, in Shajarian’s artistic perspective, repetition does not signify a simple return to what has already occurred; rather, it constitutes a ground for the emergence of differences that gradually intensify and reveal their own expressive force. Each repetition of a melody is accompanied by transformations in vocal intensity, ornamentation, temporal duration, and emotional expression. Consequently, the vocal structure takes shape through a dynamic and continuously becoming process. This demonstrates that Shajarian’s artistic approach may be interpreted as a model of productive repetition infused with difference within the field of music.