Parham Nassehpoor

Aqa Bashi (TonbaK) - Qolam Hosseyn Xan (Persian Tar) - Musa Kalimi (Kamanche) - Mohammad Sadeq Xan (Santur)

Persian music works according to a unique system. There are two essential terms ,"Dastgâh" and "Radif", which you need to understand Persian music. The Persian music that we are going to talk about can be called Persian art music, Persian classical music, Persian traditional music, Persian authentic music or Persian court music, but I prefer to use the term Persian (Iranian) Dastgah music - a music which works according to the Dastgah system. Dastgah in Persian means in general "System", but when you are talking about Persian music, Dastgah is a musical system, and a unique one, that exists in Persian music, also in Azerbaijani classical music. You can consider the term Dastgah from two points of view, first a Dastgah as a musical system and second a Dastgah as a set of melodies, which have been ordered according to a special traditional rule. Radif is a collection of one version of any Dastgah or the central repertory of Persian art music. The smaller Dasgahs are called generally with Avaz or sometimes with Bayat, for example Bayat e Esfahan or Avaz e Esfahan and the Dastgahs with more pieces are named Dastgah, for example Dastgah e Homayun.

More about Persian Music - Dastgah System

Introduction

Here I am going to introduce only two Persian music vocal virtuosi. A male and female singer. It includes some important lines about their musical life, a picture and an audio sample. I hope that these information are going to be helpful to have an imagination of Persian vocal music in Dastgah system.

Reza-Qoli Mirza Zelli

Reza-Qoli Mirza Zelli (circa 1906-1945), the Persian music virtuoso vocalist, became familiar with Aref Qazvini (Poet and Song composer), so that he had the chance to learn about the Persian Art Music (Radif and Dastgah System) and worked under Eqbal Azar (the Persian Singing Virtuoso) as well. The way that he creates the Tahrir or Chah Chahe (Nightingale way of singing) technique is brilliant and unique. He recorded some great musical pieces mainly with Moshir Homayun Shahrdar (Piano player) and also with some other musicians.

Persian Vocal Music
Piano Player: Moshir Homayun Shahrdar
Avaz (Modal System): Esfahan
Play!

Qamar

Qamar-ol-Moluc Vaziri (1905-1959) known as Xanum-e-Qamar was a great Persian art (Dastgah system) music singer, who was the first woman singer of her era to sing in public wearing a modern cloth, that it was a revolutionary phenomena, both singing for public as a woman and her form of appearance at the podium. Please consider that it was forbidden at that time to sing and appear without wearing a veil as a woman according to the religious and social ruling believes. She learned the Persian music principal repertoire (Radif) from Morteza Xan Neydavud for nearly ten years and they performed many concerts and recorded several recordings.

Persian Vocal Music
Persian Tar player: Morteza Neydavud
Dastgah (Modal System): Shur
Play!

Persian Music Principal Repertoire for Persian Tar

Here I am going to present the Mirza Hosseyn Qoli's intrepretation of the classical Persian music repertoire, which has been developed mainly for Persian Tar, but it can be used for another instruments and can be an inpiration for vocalists as well, cause you have a great sample of Persian music repertoire and can feel how a Dastgah system works. There are more other repertoires that are geat as well, but my aim here was to introduce the intrepretation of a virtuoso of his era, who had also a great sense of aesthetics for Persian music, besides that this version has been played by his son, Ali Acbar Xan Shahnazi, with his own intrepretation added to this great music collection - Two times sanded and polished with a deep sense of musical aesthetics of two legendary musicians. In my opinion this version is the greatest one for Persian Tar. Here you will see the smaller ones (Avazes) first and then come the bigger ones (Dastgahs). In the picture above you can see Mirza Hosseyn Qoli and his son Ali Acbar Xan Shahnazi. I see this repertoire as important as "Shâhnâme - The BooK of Kings" by the Persian poet Ferdowsi in Persian culture.

Avaz Abuata

Nr.1 ♪ Nr.2 ♪ Nr.3 ♪ Nr.4 ♪ Nr.5 ♪ Nr.6 ♪ Nr.7 ♪ Nr.8 ♪ Nr.9 ♪ Nr.10 ♪
Nr.11 ♪ Nr.12 ♪ Nr.13 ♪ Nr.14 ♪ Nr.15

Avaz Afshari

Nr.1 ♪ Nr.2 ♪ Nr.3 ♪ Nr.4 ♪ Nr.5 ♪ Nr.6 ♪ Nr.7 ♪ Nr.8 ♪ Nr.9 ♪ Nr.10 ♪
Nr.11 ♪ Nr.12 ♪ Nr.13

Avaz Dashti

Nr.1 ♪ Nr.2 ♪ Nr.3 ♪ Nr.4 ♪ Nr.5 ♪ Nr.6 ♪ Nr.7 ♪ Nr.8

Avaz Esfahan

Nr.1 ♪ Nr.2 ♪ Nr.3 ♪ Nr.4 ♪ Nr.5 ♪ Nr.6 ♪ Nr.7 ♪ Nr.8 ♪ Nr.9 ♪ Nr.10 ♪
Nr.11 ♪ Nr.12 ♪ Nr.13

Avaz Kord

Nr.1 ♪ Nr.2 ♪ Nr.3 ♪ Nr.4 ♪ Nr.5 ♪ Nr.6 ♪ Nr.7 ♪ Nr.8

Avaz Torc

Nr.1 ♪ Nr.2 ♪ Nr.3 ♪ Nr.4 ♪ Nr.5 ♪ Nr.6 ♪ Nr.7 ♪ Nr.8 ♪ Nr.9 ♪ Nr.10 ♪
Nr.11 ♪ Nr.12 ♪ Nr.13

♬ ♬ ♬

Dastgah Chahargah

Nr.1 ♪ Nr.2 ♪ Nr.3 ♪ Nr.4 ♪ Nr.5 ♪ Nr.6 ♪ Nr.7 ♪ Nr.8 ♪ Nr.9 ♪ Nr.10 ♪
Nr.11 ♪ Nr.12 ♪ Nr.13 ♪ Nr.14 ♪ Nr.15 ♪ Nr.16 ♪ Nr.17 ♪ Nr.18 ♪ Nr.19 ♪ Nr.20 ♪
Nr.21 ♪ Nr.22 ♪ Nr.23 ♪ Nr.24 ♪ Nr.25 ♪ Nr.26 ♪ Nr.27

Dastgah Homayun

Nr.1 ♪ Nr.2 ♪ Nr.3 ♪ Nr.4 ♪ Nr.5 ♪ Nr.6 ♪ Nr.7 ♪ Nr.8 ♪ Nr.9 ♪ Nr.10 ♪
Nr.11 ♪ Nr.12 ♪ Nr.13 ♪ Nr.14 ♪ Nr.15 ♪ Nr.16 ♪ Nr.17 ♪ Nr.18 ♪ Nr.19 ♪ Nr.20 ♪
Nr.21 ♪ Nr.22 ♪ Nr.23 ♪ Nr.24 ♪ Nr.25 ♪ Nr.26 ♪ Nr.27 ♪ Nr.28 ♪ Nr.29 ♪ Nr.30 ♪
Nr.31 ♪ Nr.32

Dastgah Mahur

Nr.1 ♪ Nr.2 ♪ Nr.3 ♪ Nr.4 ♪ Nr.5 ♪ Nr.6 ♪ Nr.7 ♪ Nr.8 ♪ Nr.9 ♪ Nr.10 ♪
Nr.11 ♪ Nr.12 ♪ Nr.13 ♪ Nr.14 ♪ Nr.15 ♪ Nr.16 ♪ Nr.17 ♪ Nr.18 ♪ Nr.19 ♪ Nr.20 ♪
Nr.21 ♪ Nr.22 ♪ Nr.23 ♪ Nr.24 ♪ Nr.25 ♪ Nr.26 ♪ Nr.27 ♪ Nr.28 ♪ Nr.29 ♪ Nr.30 ♪
Nr.31 ♪ Nr.32 ♪ Nr.33 ♪ Nr.34 ♪ Nr.35 ♪ Nr.36 ♪ Nr.37 ♪ Nr.38 ♪ Nr.39 ♪ Nr.40 ♪
Nr.41

Dastgah Nava

Nr.1 ♪ Nr.2 ♪ Nr.3 ♪ Nr.4 ♪ Nr.5 ♪ Nr.6 ♪ Nr.7 ♪ Nr.8 ♪ Nr.9 ♪ Nr.10 ♪
Nr.11 ♪ Nr.12 ♪ Nr.13 ♪ Nr.14 ♪ Nr.15 ♪ Nr.16 ♪ Nr.17 ♪ Nr.18 ♪ Nr.19 ♪ Nr.20 ♪
Nr.21 ♪ Nr.22 ♪ Nr.23

Dastgah Rast

Nr.1 ♪ Nr.2 ♪ Nr.3 ♪ Nr.4 ♪ Nr.5 ♪ Nr.6 ♪ Nr.7 ♪ Nr.8 ♪ Nr.9 ♪ Nr.10 ♪
Nr.11 ♪ Nr.12 ♪ Nr.13 ♪ Nr.14 ♪ Nr.15 ♪ Nr.16 ♪ Nr.17 ♪ Nr.18 ♪ Nr.19 ♪ Nr.20 ♪
Nr.21 ♪ Nr.22 ♪ Nr.23 ♪ Nr.24 ♪ Nr.25 ♪ Nr.26 ♪ Nr.27 ♪ Nr.28 ♪ Nr.29 ♪ Nr.30 ♪
Nr.31 ♪ Nr.32 ♪ Nr.33 ♪ Nr.34 ♪ Nr.35 ♪ Nr.36

Dastgah Segah

Nr.1 ♪ Nr.2 ♪ Nr.3 ♪ Nr.4 ♪ Nr.5 ♪ Nr.6 ♪ Nr.7 ♪ Nr.8 ♪ Nr.9 ♪ Nr.10 ♪
Nr.11 ♪ Nr.12 ♪ Nr.13 ♪ Nr.14 ♪ Nr.15 ♪ Nr.16 ♪ Nr.17 ♪ Nr.18 ♪ Nr.19 ♪ Nr.20 ♪
Nr.21 ♪ Nr.22 ♪ Nr.23

Dastgah Shur

Nr.1 ♪ Nr.2 ♪ Nr.3 ♪ Nr.4 ♪ Nr.5 ♪ Nr.6 ♪ Nr.7 ♪ Nr.8 ♪ Nr.9 ♪ Nr.10 ♪
Nr.11 ♪ Nr.12 ♪ Nr.13 ♪ Nr.14 ♪ Nr.15 ♪ Nr.16 ♪ Nr.17 ♪ Nr.18 ♪ Nr.19 ♪ Nr.20 ♪
Nr.21 ♪ Nr.22 ♪ Nr.23 ♪ Nr.24 ♪ Nr.25 ♪ Nr.26 ♪ Nr.27 ♪ Nr.28 ♪ Nr.29 ♪ Nr.30

Persian Music Principal Repertoire for Persian Tar

Mirza Abdollah - Mirza Hosseyn Qoli - Ali Akbar Shahnazi (Child)

In this part I am going to share a transcription of Mirza Hosseyn Qoli's repertoire for Persian Tar. It is obvious that the source of transcription is the recording, which has been played by Ali Acbar Xan Shahnazi. This transcription is Reza Vohdani's effort for making a musical image of this Persian music treasure. There are some other transcriptions, but here I like to name only the one which belongs to Farhad Arjangi, cause when you compare these two transcriptions, you will see and feel some changes in this repertoire according to the musical taste of Ali Acbar Xan Shahnazi in the time interval of Farhad Arjangi's transcription and the recording of the repertoire. We know that at the time that Farhad Arjangi transcribed the repertoire, there was no recording, so his source was only what he learned and heard from his master Ali Acbar Xan Shahnazi. Reza Vohdani was Ali Acbar Xan's pupil as well, I have scanned and edited his transcription in order to appreciate his great work which has been done with high level of accuracy. Scanning and editing the pieces of this repertoire took me a long time and I had to be really patient, so I hope that these transcriptions can be of help to the researchers and musicians, who want to have a deeper feeling and understanding of the pricipal repertoire of Persian authentic music.

Avaz Abuata

Nr.1 ♩ Nr.2 ♩ Nr.3 ♩ Nr.4 ♩ Nr.5 ♩ Nr.6 ♩ Nr.7 ♩ Nr.8 ♩ Nr.9 ♩ Nr.10 ♩
Nr.11 ♩ Nr.12 ♩ Nr.13 ♩ Nr.14 ♩ Nr.15.1 ♩ Nr.15.2 ♩ Nr.16 ♩ Nr.17 ♩ Nr.18

Avaz Afshari

Nr.1 ♩ Nr.2 ♩ Nr.3 ♩ Nr.4 ♩ Nr.5 ♩ Nr.6 ♩ Nr.7 ♩ Nr.8 ♩ Nr.9 ♩ Nr.10 ♩
Nr.11 ♩ Nr.12 ♩ Nr.13 ♩ Nr.14 ♩ Nr.15 ♩ Nr.16

Avaz Dashti

Nr.1 ♩ Nr.2 ♩ Nr.3 ♩ Nr.4 ♩ Nr.5 ♩ Nr.6 ♩ Nr.7 ♩ Nr.8 ♩ Nr.9 ♩ Nr.10 ♩
Nr.11

Avaz Esfahan

Nr.1 ♩ Nr.2 ♩ Nr.3 ♩ Nr.4 ♩ Nr.5 ♩ Nr.6 ♩ Nr.7 ♩ Nr.8 ♩ Nr.9 ♩ Nr.10 ♩
Nr.11 ♩ Nr.12 ♩ Nr.13 ♩ Nr.14 ♩ Nr.15

Avaz Kord

Nr.1 ♩ Nr.2 ♩ Nr.3 ♩ Nr.4 ♩ Nr.5 ♩ Nr.6 ♩ Nr.7 ♩ Nr.8 ♩ Nr.9

Avaz Torc

Nr.1 ♩ Nr.2 ♩ Nr.3 ♩ Nr.4 ♩ Nr.5 ♩ Nr.6 ♩ Nr.7 ♩ Nr.8 ♩ Nr.9 ♩ Nr.10 ♩
Nr.11 ♩ Nr.12

♬ ♬ ♬

Dastgah Chahargah

Nr.1 ♩ Nr.2 ♩ Nr.3 ♩ Nr.4 ♩ Nr.5 ♩ Nr.6 ♩ Nr.7 ♩ Nr.8 ♩ Nr.9 ♩ Nr.10 ♩
Nr.11 ♩ Nr.12 ♩ Nr.13 ♩ Nr.14 ♩ Nr.15.1 ♩ Nr.15.2 ♩ Nr.16 ♩ Nr.17 ♩ Nr.18.1 ♩ Nr.18.2 ♩ Nr.19 ♩ Nr.20.1 ♩
Nr.20.2 ♩ Nr.20.3 ♩ Nr.21.1 ♩ Nr.21.2

Dastgah Homayun

Nr.1 ♩ Nr.2.1 ♩ Nr.2.2 ♩ Nr.3 ♩ Nr.4 ♩ Nr.5 ♩ Nr.6 ♩ Nr.7 ♩ Nr.8.1 ♩ Nr.8.2 ♩ Nr.9 ♩ Nr.10 ♩
Nr.11 ♩ Nr.12 ♩ Nr.13 ♩ Nr.14 ♩ Nr.15 ♩ Nr.16 ♩ Nr.17 ♩ Nr.18 ♩ Nr.19 ♩ Nr.20 ♩
Nr.21 ♩ Nr.22 ♩ Nr.23 ♩ Nr.24 ♩

Dastgah Mahur

Nr.1 ♩ Nr.2 ♩ Nr.3 ♩ Nr.4 ♩ Nr.5 ♩ Nr.6 ♩ Nr.7 ♩ Nr.8 ♩ Nr.9 ♩ Nr.10 ♩
Nr.11 ♩ Nr.12 ♩ Nr.13.1 ♩ Nr.13.2 ♩ Nr.14.1 ♩ Nr.14.2 ♩ Nr.15 ♩ Nr.16 ♩ Nr.17 ♩ Nr.18 ♩ Nr.20 ♩
Nr.21 ♩ Nr.22 ♩ Nr.23 ♩ Nr.24.1 ♩ Nr.24.2 ♩ Nr.25.1 ♩ Nr.25.2 ♩ Nr.26 ♩ Nr.27 ♩ Nr.28 ♩

Dastgah Nava

Nr.1 ♩ Nr.2 ♩ Nr.3.1 ♩ Nr.3.2 ♩ Nr.4 ♩ Nr.5 ♩ Nr.6 ♩ Nr.7 ♩ Nr.8 ♩ Nr.9 ♩ Nr.10 ♩
Nr.11 ♩ Nr.12 ♩ Nr.13 ♩ Nr.14 ♩ Nr.15 ♩ Nr.16 ♩ Nr.17 ♩ Nr.18 ♩ Nr.19 ♩ Nr.20 ♩
Nr.21 ♩ Nr.22 ♩

Dastgah Rast

Nr.1 ♩ Nr.2.1 ♩ Nr.2.2 ♩ Nr.3 ♩ Nr.4 ♩ Nr.5 ♩ Nr.6 ♩ Nr.7 ♩ Nr.8 ♩ Nr.9 ♩ Nr.10 ♩
Nr.11 ♩ Nr.12 ♩ Nr.13 ♩ Nr.14 ♩ Nr.15 ♩ Nr.16 ♩ Nr.17 ♩ Nr.18 ♩ Nr.19.1 ♩ Nr.19.2 ♩ Nr.20 ♩
Nr.21 ♩ Nr.22 ♩ Nr.23 ♩ Nr.24 ♩ Nr.25 ♩ Nr.26.1 ♩ Nr.26.2 ♩

Dastgah Segah

Nr.1 ♩ Nr.2 ♩ Nr.3 ♩ Nr.4 ♩ Nr.5 ♩ Nr.6 ♩ Nr.7 ♩ Nr.8 ♩ Nr.9 ♩ Nr.10 ♩
Nr.11 ♩ Nr.12.1 ♩ Nr.12.2 ♩ Nr.13 ♩ Nr.14 ♩ Nr.15 ♩ Nr.16 ♩ Nr.17 ♩ Nr.18 ♩ Nr.19 ♩ Nr.20.1 ♩
Nr.20.2 ♩

Dastgah Shur

Nr.1 ♩ Nr.2 ♩ Nr.3 ♩ Nr.4 ♩ Nr.5 ♩ Nr.6 ♩ Nr.7 ♩ Nr.8 ♩ Nr.9 ♩ Nr.10 ♩
Nr.11 ♩ Nr.12 ♩ Nr.13 ♩ Nr.14 ♩ Nr.15 ♩ Nr.16 ♩ Nr.17.1 ♩ Nr.17.2 ♩ Nr.18 ♩ Nr.19 ♩ Nr.20 ♩
Nr.21.1 ♩ Nr.21.2 ♩ Nr.22 ♩ Nr.23.1 ♩ Nr.23.2 ♩ Nr.23.3 ♩

Tetrachord or Dâng

I think Tetrachords are not necessarily the structural part of a Mode (in Persian Mâye) in Persian Music "Dastgâh" System, but I show here how to make different Persian Music Tetrachords. As you see you have only one beginning Tone (C) and one finishing Tone (F) and two groups of Tones, that you can use only one Tone of each group to make a unique Tetrachord, so you will have SIX (2 multiplied by 3) choices. For example C, D Koron, E , F.

Some BooKs about Persian Music

✔ The Dastgah Concept in Persian Music
By Hormoz Farhat

✔ The Radif of Persian Music
By Bruno Nettl

Tasnif

"TASNIF" is a Persian music form. It is a composed song in a generally slow metre. Most of the Tasnifs have been composed by the famous composers, though there are some, which have been created by a person, whom we don't know. Old style Tasnifs have been created by the same person as composer and poet like Ali Acbar Sheyda, Aref Qazvini and Mohammad Ali Amir-Jahed.

Reza Qoli Xan Tajrishi - Aqa Qolam Hosseyn

An Old Song - Nâdide Roxat
Singer: Reza Qoli Xan
Avaz (Modal System): Esfahan
Organ: Moshir Homayun - Kamanche: Baqer Xan - Flute: Acbar Xan Hang Afarin - Tonbak: Reza Qoli Xan
Play!