Dariush Safvat is one of the last representatives of the old style of Persian santur playing, characterized by a clear sound and subtle ornamentation. In this selection, recorded during a concert, he improvises in the Persian melodic mode mahur, whose pitches correspond to the notes of the Western major scale. As is traditional, Safvat performs with a goblet-shaped drum (zarb). Here, the drum is played by French percussionist Bruno Caillat, a virtuoso on this instrument. (During, Levin 2001)