Persian traditional music, also called Iranian traditional music or Persian classical music, is the classical music of Iran, which was once known as Persia. It includes features that developed over the country's classical, medieval, and modern times. This music also influenced areas that are part of Greater Iran.

Because of the sharing of musical knowledge throughout history, many of Iran's classical musical scales are similar to those of nearby cultures.

Iran's classical art music has always been used for spiritual purposes, as it has been for a long time. It is mostly practiced by the social elite, unlike folk and popular music, which are enjoyed by people from all backgrounds. However, some parts of Iran's classical music have also been used in folk and pop music.

History

The history of music in Iran has existed for thousands of years. Ancient records from the Elam civilization in the southwest and the Oxus civilization in the northeast show that music was part of life even in early times.

Little is known about the music of the Medes, Achaemenids, and Parthians, who were ancient Iranian empires. However, some old writings and observations from their time describe music performed at royal courts, in public theaters, during religious ceremonies, and before battles. In Iranian mythology, a king named Jamshid is said to have created music.

The Sasanian Empire’s music is better understood than earlier periods. Names of instruments and musicians from this time are recorded. A court musician named Barbad is credited with developing modal music. He may have created the lute and a musical tradition that later became known as dastgah and maqam. Barbad is believed to have organized a system with seven "royal modes," 30 derived modes, and 360 melodies.

Khosrow II, a powerful ruler, supported music greatly. His court musician, Barbod, is said to have created a system with seven modal structures (Royal Modes), 30 derivative modes, and 365 melodies connected to days, months, and years.

Iran’s academic classical music includes melodies from the Sasanian period and ideas from Iranian music theorists after the Muslim conquest of the Sasanian Empire. These theorists, such as Avicenna, Farabi, Qotb-ed-Din Shirazi, and Safi-ed-Din Urmawi, wrote about how music should sound.

This music is also linked to the Safavid Empire (16th–18th centuries). During the Qajar era (19th century), classical music evolved with the influence of Western ideas and technology. Mirza Abdollah, a respected musician, helped shape how classical music is taught today. He created the "Radif," a collection of melodies that became the oldest recorded version of the seven dastgah system. This system replaced an older 12 maqam system. In the late Qajar and early Pahlavi periods, many compositions were made using classical Iranian modes, often combined with Western harmonies.

When Western music became popular in the 20th century, some people worried that traditional music would be lost. Before the 1950s, classical musicians dominated Iran’s music industry. In 1968, Dariush Safvat and Nur-Ali Borumand, with help from Reza Ghotbi, created the Center for Preservation and Propagation of Iranian Music. This effort helped protect traditional music in the 1970s.

In 2009, the "Radif of Iranian music" was added to UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, described as "the traditional repertoire of classical music in Iran."

Characteristics

Iran's classical art music uses both making up music on the spot and written compositions. It is based on a series of musical scales and tunes, including twelve Dastgahs and Avazes. Music can change a lot from the beginning to the end, often moving between slow, thoughtful pieces and fast, skillful performances called tahrir. The common collection of music includes more than 200 short melodies (guše), which are grouped into seven modes (dastgāh). Two of these modes have smaller modes called āvāz. All of these together form a system called radif, which has different versions based on the teachings of specific masters (ostād).

By the end of the Safavid Empire, more complex musical pieces with 10, 14, and 16 beats were no longer performed. In the early Qajar era, rhythmic patterns (osul) were replaced by a meter based on the qazal, and the maqam system was changed into the radif system. Today, rhythmic pieces use beats of 2 to 7, with some exceptions. The reng is always in an 8-beat structure.

A typical Iranian classical performance has five parts: pišdarāmad ("prelude"; a written, rhythmic piece), čahārmezrāb (a fast, rhythmic piece with a repeated pattern), āvāz (the central, improvised piece), tasnif (a written, rhythmic song with classical poetry), and reng (a rhythmic closing piece). A performance is like a group of connected pieces. Sometimes, these parts may be changed or left out.

Iran's classical music is based on singing, and the singer plays an important role. The singer decides the mood of the performance and which dastgāh matches that mood. In many cases, the singer also chooses the lyrics. If a singer is needed, they are supported by at least one wind or string instrument and one type of percussion. A group of instruments may join, but the singer must remain the main focus. In some tasnif songs, musicians may sing along with the singer during certain verses.

Religious texts as lyrics have mostly been replaced by the works of medieval Sufi poets, especially Hafez and Rumi.

Instruments

Traditional music from Iran includes many types of musical instruments. String instruments used are the chang (harp), qanun, santur, rud (oud, barbat), tar, dotar, setar, tanbur, and kamanche. Wind instruments include the sorna (zurna, karna), ney, and neyanban. Percussion instruments used are the tombak, kus, daf (dayere), naqare, and dohol.

Some instruments, such as the sorna, neyanban, dohol, and naqare, are typically found in folk music rather than classical music. During the middle of the Safavid Empire, the chang was an important instrument in Iranian music. Later, it was replaced by the qanun (zither) and eventually by the western piano. The tar is the main string instrument used in performances. The setar is often played by Sufi musicians. The western violin is also used, but Iranian musicians prefer a different tuning. The ghaychak, a type of fiddle, has been brought back into classical music after being excluded for many years.