Shur (mugham)

“Shur”() – is one of the great mughams (a multifrequency vocal-instrumental composition) and one of seven main modes in Azerbaijani music.
This is the second mode and consists of 1-0.5-1 tone, which is created in the result of amalgamation of three tetra-chords with reach method of the first tetra-chord. Shur mode is the most used mode in Ashik art. Shur creates joyful lyrical mood at listener. Subgenres of Shur includes: Bardasht, Maye, Salmak, Shur-Shahnaz, Busalik, Bayaty-Turk, Shikasteyi-Fars, Mubarriga, Ashiran, Semai-Shams, Hijaz, Shakh Khatai, Sarenj, Gemengiz, Nishibi-Feraz, space for Shur. Mugams relating to the Shur are: Shahnaz, Sarenj, Arazbary, Osmani, Rahab, Neva.
In comparison with Shur of the beginning of the 20th century, in the modern Shur many parts are not used. Modern Shur consists of parts (shobe) such as "Maye", "Kur-Shahnaz", "Bayati-Kurd", "Shikesteyi-fars", "Mubarriga", "Semayi-shems", "Hijnaz", "Sarenj" and "Nishibi-feraz". Some performers of Shur use little parts such as "Buselik", "Ashiran" and "Shah Khatai".
Maximally shortened kind of Shur destgah includes 8 main parts: "Berdasht", "Maye", "Shur-Shahnaz", "Bayati-Turk", "Shikesteyi-fars", Semayi-shems", "Hijaz" and "Sarenj". These parts play a function of “bearing components” of the whole construction in the modern level and make a mode “skeleton” of the composition.
There is also maqam Shur in Azerbaijani music. Mughams such as "Shahnaz", "Bayati-Kurd", "Nava", Azerbaijani national songs and dance melodies and also Shur are based in this maqam.
Azerbaijani composer Fikret Amirov composed “Shur” mugham on the basis of this Shur. A documentary of the same name, shot in 1967 by AzTV, is dedicated to “Shur” mugham.