In the Pahlavi era, the foundations of western culture were introduced to Persian music and new forms of music were born. The next period of Iranian music is the modern era.
The music artworks of prominent Iranian scholars such as Avicenna, Farabi, Qutb al-Din Shirazi and Abdul Qaher Maraqe’i show that Iranian music has had a scientific aspect until the mid-fifteenth century, but after that, due to the specific social and religious situation in Iran, music was not duly attended to. The First Era of Iranian Music Development:.There could be two major eras during which Iranian music has developed. Traditional Persian Music through History In addition to the seven Dastgah and five Avaz, 228 Gushehs are the models of musicians and singers. The five other sets that are dependent come from Dastgahs, which are known as Avaz. Among them, seven sets are more independent and are called Dastgah. The traditional Persian music is composed of twelve sets. On the other hand, the passion and the beat of this music have roots in the ancient and epic spirit of Iranians, which conducts the listener to move and make efforts. On the one hand, the elegance and special form of Persian music persuade listeners to think and reach the immaterial world. The Persian Traditional Music of Iran is a collection of songs and tunes created over the centuries in this country and reflects the moral of Iranians. The basis of the new European musical note is according to the principles of Mohammad Farabi, a great Iranian scientist and musician. The traditional Iranian music, as mentioned in the books, has influenced world music. The carvings on the ancient cave walls show Iranians interest in music since the earliest times. Radif (meaning order in Persian, a collection of many old melodic figures) was inscribed as the first independent Iranian legacy in the Intangible World Heritage List in October 2009. Barbod, Nagisa (Nakisa) and Ramtin are the famous Persian musicians in ancient Iran. Also, each one of them has also contributed to the formation of this music. Persian music influenced the music of the major parts of Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey, and Greece. The more enjoyable and easier parts have remained up until now. This kind of music has existed before Christendom and reached us mainly by word-of-mouth. The original Persian music, also known as Persian traditional music and Persian classical music, includes Dastgah (musical modal system), melody, and Avaz. Fine arts represent the emotions and the morals of people and nations and as the nations have different preferences, their arts are different from each other.
The music of every nation is like a mirror where we can see the social situation, the change and the decline of society. Before introducing Persian traditional music, it’s important to consider certain facts.