Persian Music

Persia has a refined musical culture known to have been widely influenced by many cultures such as the Greeks, Arabs, Spain and even Japan. With an elaborate musical history, the early Persian Empire started by King Herodotus had great court musicians such as Barbod, Nakissa and Ramtin. Barbod has been credited with devising the first Persian musical system known as the Khosravaani or Royal Modes. Around the 7th century when Persia was invaded by the Arab dynasty, the Arabs discovered a culturally rich musical heritage. During the Abbasid dynasty, Persian musicians living in a secular environment away from Islamist religious leaders opposed to the onslaught of Persian music, and began to perform in different corners of the Islamic Empire. However after the decline of the Abbasid dynasty, and with the rise of Shi'ite clerics there was a gradual decline in musical theory and lack of creative growth.
Becoming a mere decorative piece of art, Persian music was reduced to court musicians’ performances during the Safavid dynasty and the Qajar dynasty. It was around this era that the twelve dastagh system was presented. Soon the West’s musical influence reached the shores of Persia. It is from here onwards that Persian music slowly started gaining momentum again with schools coming up and where French instructors would teach them Western musical theory and various wind instruments. Soon musical institutions began emerging giving rise to talented artists such as Ali Naqi Vaziri.
Persian music also comprises of folk and popular music as well as classical music. Folk and popular music is interlinked with classical music. However they are separated by what folk music is characteristic of namely melodic and rhythmic variations. Classical instruments are somewhat difficult for folk musicians to handle. Their aesthetic requirements usually consist of love songs, wedding appearances, lullabies, street performances and such. Also instruments vary among the rural people with each village having their own unusual instrument. Their music also largely comprises of Persian-Western music which is slowly getting a huge fan following. Even though the music has large western components included, the musical theory and harmony of these compositions remains true to the essence of Persian music.
Persian classical music has a whole set of melodies known as the Radif, seven larger connotations known as the Dastagh and five smaller sub-sets known as avaz or maqam. The term "Khonyâ-ye Bâstâni Irâni" is better known today as Persian Classical Music. The elaborate and often difficult to play classical musical instruments would include the goblet drum tombak, dohol, the end-blown flute ney, the frame drum daf, sorna, neyanban, gheichak , Kamancheh, Dayereh, the long-necked lutes tar, setar, tanbur, dotar, and others. Most of these instruments also brought about an inspiration and a large market in Middle Eastern countries. The Tar instrument however is considered to be most popular among musicians. Even though some of these instruments which were popular as early as the Sassanid era, they are no longer considered part of classical musical history but have still maintained their place is Persian musical tradition.