Persian Symphonic Music
Encyclopedia
Persian symphonic music generally refers to the pieces by the Persian
(Iranian) composers which have been composed for Western ensembles and orchestras, mostly based on the Persian folk and classical melodies. Persian symphonic music also can be used for the non-Persian composers' works which are based on/inspired by Persian music such as Henry Cowell
's Persian Set.
who lived in France and Parviz Mahmoud
in 1940s.
Next generation of the Persian symphonic music composers where Houshang Ostovar, Samin Baghtcheban
, Emanuel Melik-Aslanian, Morteza Hannaneh
, Hossein Nassehi
, Hossein Dehlavi
, Hormoz Farhat
, Ahmad Pejman
, and Mohammad Taghi Massoudieh, etc.
Many symphonic pieces of the Persian composers have not yet been performed or recorded because of financial and political problems in Persia (Iran).
The first collection of Persian symphonic music works titled "Symphonic Poems From Persia" ("Symphonische Dichtungen aus Persien
") was performed by the Nuremberg
Symphony Orchestra under Ali Rahbari
in 1980. In late 1990s Manouchehr Sahbai recorded three CDs of Persian symphonic music pieces in Bulgaria
and Austria
.
The most active Persian composers in this style of music are Reza Vali
, Behzad Ranjbaran
and Mehdi Hosseini
.
between Persian and Western scales
but the composers have found several ways to solve such problems. Some claim they can add more to World Symphonic music literature by this way.
Persian operas:
Persian orchestras:
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
(Iranian) composers which have been composed for Western ensembles and orchestras, mostly based on the Persian folk and classical melodies. Persian symphonic music also can be used for the non-Persian composers' works which are based on/inspired by Persian music such as Henry Cowell
Henry Cowell
Henry Cowell was an American composer, music theorist, pianist, teacher, publisher, and impresario. His contribution to the world of music was summed up by Virgil Thomson, writing in the early 1950s:...
's Persian Set.
History
The first serious pieces of Persian symphonic music were composed by Gholma-Reza Minbashian and Gholam-Hossein Minbashian in around 1930s, later by Aminollah HosseinAminollah Hossein
André Hossein, born Aminoullah Husseinoff was a celebrated Iranian composer of Neo-Romantic music and a tar soloist residing in France....
who lived in France and Parviz Mahmoud
Parviz Mahmoud
Parviz Mahmoud was a Persian composer and conductor. He was the founder of the Tehran Symphony Orchestra in its modern form. His father Mahmoud Mahmoud was a famous Persian writer, researcher and politician.- Education :...
in 1940s.
Next generation of the Persian symphonic music composers where Houshang Ostovar, Samin Baghtcheban
Samin Baghtcheban
Samin Baghtcheban , was an Iranian musician, composer, author and translator.-Biography:Samin Baghtcheban was born in 1925 in Tabriz, and grew up in Shiraz and Tehran, where his father established the first modern kindergartens and schools for the deaf in Iran...
, Emanuel Melik-Aslanian, Morteza Hannaneh
Morteza Hannaneh
Morteza Hannaneh was a well-known Persian composer and horn player.- Musical career :...
, Hossein Nassehi
Hossein Nassehi
Hossein Nassehi was a Persian composer and trombone player.Hossein Nassehi was born in Tehran and studied Trombone at the Tehran Conservatory and composition at the Ankara State Conservatory...
, Hossein Dehlavi
Hossein Dehlavi
- Biography :He was born in 1927 in Tehran and studied composition at the Tehran Conservatory of Music with Hossein Nassehi. He studied Persian music with Abolhassan Saba and, from 1957 to 1967, was the principal conductor of the Persian Fine Arts Administration Orchestra.For ten years, Dehlavi was...
, Hormoz Farhat
Hormoz Farhat
Hormoz Farhat Born 1929 Tehran, is a significant Iranian composer, ethnomusicologist and University lecturer.- Musical career :...
, Ahmad Pejman
Ahmad Pejman
Ahmad Pejman , also spelled as Ahmad Pezhman, is an Iranian classical composer who resides in the United States.-Biography:Born in 1937 in Lar, Iran, Pejman was exposed to the sounds and rhythms of southern Iran from early childhood...
, and Mohammad Taghi Massoudieh, etc.
Many symphonic pieces of the Persian composers have not yet been performed or recorded because of financial and political problems in Persia (Iran).
The first collection of Persian symphonic music works titled "Symphonic Poems From Persia" ("Symphonische Dichtungen aus Persien
Symphonische Dichtungen aus Persien
Symphonische Dichtungen aus Persien is the name of 3 gramophone records recorded with Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra in 1980 conducted by Ali Rahbari...
") was performed by the Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
Symphony Orchestra under Ali Rahbari
Ali Rahbari
Ali Rahbari is a Persian composer and conductor, who played with more than 120 European orchestras including Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.-Biography:...
in 1980. In late 1990s Manouchehr Sahbai recorded three CDs of Persian symphonic music pieces in Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
.
The most active Persian composers in this style of music are Reza Vali
Reza vali
Reza Vali is an Iranian musician and composer.Reza Vali was born in Iran and studied at the Tehran Conservatory. In 1972, he attended the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna, where he studied composition. He later attended the University of Pittsburgh where he received his PhD in...
, Behzad Ranjbaran
Behzad Ranjbaran
Behzad Ranjbaran is a leading Persian composer.Ranjbaran was born and raised in Iran. He entered the Tehran Conservatory at the age of 9. Ranjbaran continued his study of composition at Indiana University...
and Mehdi Hosseini
Mehdi Hosseini
Seyed Mehdi Hosseini Bami is a contemporary Persian composer and Musicologist.-Biography:...
.
Critics
Some critics reject combining Persian music with Western orchestration because of differing intervallic distancesInterval (music)
In music theory, an interval is a combination of two notes, or the ratio between their frequencies. Two-note combinations are also called dyads...
between Persian and Western scales
Musical scale
In music, a scale is a sequence of musical notes in ascending and descending order. Most commonly, especially in the context of the common practice period, the notes of a scale will belong to a single key, thus providing material for or being used to conveniently represent part or all of a musical...
but the composers have found several ways to solve such problems. Some claim they can add more to World Symphonic music literature by this way.
See also
- Music of IranMusic of IranThe music of Iran has thousands of years of history, as seen in the archeological documents of Elam, one of the earliest world cultures,which was located in southwestern Iran...
- List of Iranian musicians
Persian operas:
- Rostam and Sohrab (opera)Rostam and Sohrab (opera)Rostam and Sohrab is an opera by Loris Tjeknavorian. It is based on Shahnameh. Its composition took 25 years. In 1963, Professor Carl Orff granted Loris Tjeknavorian a scholarship, which allowed him to reside in Salzburg and to complete his opera in Austria....
Persian orchestras:
- Tehran Symphony OrchestraTehran Symphony OrchestraTehran Symphony Orchestra was founded originally as "Municipality Symphony Orchestra" in 1933 by Gholamhossein Minbashian.The Orchestra in its modern form was founded by Parviz Mahmoud...