Persian Classical Music is the traditional art music of the Persian civilization. While it is mostly practiced in Persia (Iran), there are also closely related forms of Classical Music in territories historically being Persian domain - modern Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Though Persian Classical Music influenced and was influenced by Arabic, Turkish, Byzantine and Indian Classical musics, it is nevertheless an independent development.
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Persian Classical Music is the traditional art music of the Persian civilization. While it is mostly practiced in Persia (Iran), there are also closely related forms of Classical Music in territories historically being Persian domain - modern Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Though Persian Classical Music influenced and was influenced by Arabic, Turkish, Byzantine and Indian Classical musics, it is nevertheless an independent development. It has a uniquely deep mutual relation with poetry - the rhythms and melodic patterns of poems and tunes are often interconnected. Tunes are often based on poems, but it is also not uncommon to model a new poem upon the melody and rhythm of an existing tune. Sufism is another profound influence on Persian Classical Music.
Persian Classical Music is modal and monophonic, makes use of microtones and is typically performed by small ensembles. Such ensembles are usually led by a vocalist; key instruments are: long-necked lutes (tar, setar, tanbur, dotar), spike-fiddle (kamencheh), drums (tombak, daf), end-blown flute (ney) and hammered dulcimer (santur).
There are six forms of Persian Classical Music: four instrumental (pishdaramad, daramad, cheharmezrab, and reng) and two vocal (tasnif and avaz). A typical performance would include all those forms in a sequence, together forming a kind of "suite". While compositional basis in the form of tunes and modes does exist, Persian Classical Music is always at least partially improvised, the skill of a musician being judged by his ability to "dress" the tune in extensive ornamentation. Other typical traits include: melody concentrated on a relatively narrow register, fast tempo, simple rhythmic patterns, repetition of phrases at different pitches, emphasis on cadenza.
Persian Classical Music probably started forming in the Sassanid Era (6th century), but as it lacked musical notation at the time, there is no way of checking its relation to the modern forms. The earliest examples of Persian Classical Music which are directly linked to the modern performance date from the times of Safavid dynasty (16/17th century), while its codification into modern form happened during Qajar reign (19th century). Until the 1900s, Persian Classical Music was almost exclusively within the purview of the royal courts and small, wealthy audiences. During the 20th century, it saw more widespread performance and increased freedom of artistic expression. However, this was stopped by the Iranian Revolution of 1979, since which Persian Classical Music is at times condemned, at other times encouraged and most of the time just barely tolerated.
