Persian Traditional Music

Archeological evidence reveals musical instruments that were used in Iran during the Elamite era around 800BCE. Not much is known about Persian music in the ancient world, especially about the music of the Achaemenid Empire. Alexander the Great is said to have witnessed many melodies and instruments upon his invasion, and music played an important role in religious affairs. Music played an important role in the courts of Sassanid kings in the much later Sassanid Empire. Of this period, we know the names of various court musicians like Barbad and the types of various instruments that were used like harps, lutes, flutes, bagpipes and others. Under Sassanid rule, modal music was developed by a highly significant court musician, Barbad, called the khosravani. While today's classical music tradition in Iran bears the same names of some of the modes of that era it is impossible to know if they sound the same because there is no evidence of musical notation from the Sassanid period. Today's traditional Persian music began to develop after the

advent f I lam in I an, in t e

edieval era and t e

reati n f t day's f rmal, lassi al musi traditi n is directly linked t t e music systems f t e Safavid Dynasty. system nder t e later Qajar Dynasty, t e classical as restructured int its resent f rm.

Aspects
Iranian classical music relies n improvisation and composition and is ased on a series of modal scales and tunes ich must e memorized. Apprentices and hich has masters, ostad, have a traditional relationship

declined during the 20th century as music education moved to universities and conservatories. The repertoire consists of more than two hundred short melodic movements called gusheh, which are classified into seven dastg h or "modes." Two of these modes have secondary modes branching from them called v z. Each gusheh and dastgah has an individual name. This whole body is called the Radif of which there are several versions, each in accordance to the teachings of a particular master or ostad.

A typical performance consists of the following elements p shdar mad(a rhythmic prelude which sets the mood), dar mad (rhythmic free motif), v z (improvised rhythmic-free singing), ta n f (rhythmic accompanied y singing, an ode), Chah rme r b (rhythmic music ut rhythmic-free or no singing), reng (closing rhythmic composition, a dance tune). A performance forms a sort of suite. nconventionally, these parts may e varied or omitted. owards the end of the Safavid Empire (1502-1736),

more complex movements in 10, 14, and 16 beats stopped being performed. In fact, in the early stages of the ajar ynasty, the u l(rhythmic cycles) were replaced by a meter based on the ghazal and the maq m system of classification was reconstructed into the Radif system which is used to this day (see Dast'g h). Today, rhythmic pieces are performed in beats of 2 to 7 with some exceptions. Rengs are always in a 6/8 time frame. Many melodies and modes are related to the maq m t of the Turkish classical repertoire and Arabic music belonging to various Arab countries, for example Iraq. This similarity is because of the exchange of musical science that took place in the early Islamic world between Persia and her neighboring countries. uring the meeting of The Inter-governmental

Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Heritage of the United Nations, held between 28 September 2 October 2009 in Abu Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The classical music is vocal based. The vocalist plays a crucial role: she or he decides what mood to express habi, radifs were officially registered on the UNESCOList of the Intangible

and which dastgah relates to that mood. In many cases, the vocalist is also responsible for choosing the poems to be sung. If the performance requires a singer, the singer is accompanied by at least one wind or string instrument, and at least one type ofpercussion. There could be an ensemble of instruments, though the primary vocalist must maintain hers or his role. In some ta n f songs, the musicians may accompany the singer by singing along several verses. Traditionally, music is performed while seated on finely decorated cushions and rugs. Candles are sometimes lit. The group of musicians and the vocalist decide on which dastgahs and which of their gushehs to perform, depending on the mood of a certain time or situation. Iranian classical music continues to function as a spiritual tool as it has throughout its history, and much less of a recreational activity.Compositions can vary immensely from start to finish, usually alternating between low, contemplative pieces and athletic displays of musicianship called tahrir. The incorporation of religious texts as lyrics were replaced by lyrics largely

written by medieval Sufi poets, especially Hafe and Jalal-e in Rumi.

The Radif:
Dastgah-e Shur (considered the mother of all dastgah) Ava -e Dashti Ava -e Abu'ata Ava -e Bayat-e Tork Ava -e Afshari Ava -e Dashti Dastgah-e Homayoun Ava -e Bayat-e Esfahan Dastgah-e Segah Dastgah-e Chahargah Dastgah-e Rastpanjgah Dastgah-e Mahur Dastgah-e Nava

Major instruments

Instruments used in Persian classical music include the owed spike-fiddle kamancheh, the goblet drum tombak, the end-blown flute ney, the frame drum daf, the longnecked lutes tar, setar, tanbur, dotar, and the dulcimer santur. he European violin is also used, with an alternative tuning preferred by Persian musicians. arps, chang[s], were a very important part of music up until the middle of the Safavid Empire.

hey were probably replaced because of tuning problems or replaced by the Qanun (zither)and later the piano which was introduced by the Safavid Dynasty of Iran. est during the any, if not most, of these

instruments originated in Iran. Perhaps the most loved string instrument is thetar. ar players are regurlarly chosen to function as the primary string instrument in a performance. he setar is also loved for its delicacy and is the favorite among ystic musicians. Some

instruments like the sorna, neyanban, dohol, naghareh, and others, are not used in the classical repertoire but are used in Iranian Folk music. The gha hak (ghaychak), a type of fiddle, is being re-introduced to the Classical field after many years of exclusion. The instruments used in the Classical field are also used in Iranian Folk Music. The reference is Ghonyat-al-Monyah an aged old manuscript translated and published by the Late Prof. ShahabSarmadi of AMU Aligarh India. This book describes in detail the history of Persian musical instruments. Here is an example of where the links are: Prof. ShahbSarmad of Aligarh Muslim University, due to his specific expertise in Persian and Indian Classical Music, translated a section called Roots and Branches of Music, which is a part of Volume II. When he was in Chicago for the 1987 conference he graciously agreed to stay over for a month and translated this chapter on music. This translation exposes AmrKhusraus expertise in music although he seems to attempt to avoid any credit to himself. The special feature of this

translation is AmrKhusraus description of a Pardah System, without mentioning the invention of sitar as an instrument. In the sitar design there are 12-13 mi rb, a typical form of plectrum made of steel wire played with a am ama held in one hand that strikes against mi rb in a pattern creating a system of music. This system of music makes unlimited Pardah System by placing the 12-13 plectrums in various positions, thus exposing numerous potentialities. AmrKhusraus ingenious definition of the Pardah System described in this section of Volume II, and equally ingenious effort by Prof. ShahbSarmad in catching these in his translation enumerates value of this work. This Pardah System of music may have been easily transformed into the design of mi rb and am ama in sitar, when played together creating a Pardah System of music, thus providing a proof of AmrKhusraus invention of sitar. It is reasonable to imagine that, because of his Turkish/Lachin (in the following introduction to Ij -iKhusrav he calls himself Khusrau-Lachin) heritage, AmrKhusrau may have been exposed to the Maqam System of Muslim Music, merging with the Sanstn

System or Tht System of Music in north India and the Mela-Karta System in south India, provided a new scope of invention for AmrKhusrau. The section on music in Vol. II is highly technical, which necessitated writing detailed footnotes by Prof. ShahbSarmad resulting from our discussions. Translators

Major ensembles
     

Aref ensemble Sheyda ensemble Masters of Persian Music Hamavayan Ensemble National music ensemble (ShahramNa eri's group) Dastan ensemble (winner of Grand Prix du Disque for World Music) The Kamkars Shakila's group (winner of Persian Academy Awards International) Chemirani ensemble Lian ensemble Shams Ensemble Shahna Ensemble

 

   

Preservation
The Persian Constitutional Revolution in 1906 allowed some release from previous religious restrictions with regards to music. As a result, genres such as pop and rock started to become popular. This popularity was critici ed by traditionalists who felt that traditional music was becoming endangered. In 1968, DariushSafvat and Nur-Ali Borumand helped form the Center for Preservation and Propagation of Iranian Music with the help of Re a Ghotbi, director of NIRT (National Iranian Radio-Television), an act credited with saving traditional music in the 1970s by other ethnomusicologists, including Nelly Caron, Tran Van Khe, and Hormo Farhat.