On the Radif of the Music of Iran

The lack of coherence in the organization of Iran’s vast musical heritage, together with the absence of recording mechanisms to preserve and safeguard the musical treasures of this land, prompted prominent musicians to preserve this heritage by bringing together its scale structures, melodic lines, and various rhythmic patterns under an organizing framework known as Radif.

Some Western scholars believe that the history of Radif is limited to the last few centuries and that Radif is a relatively recent phenomenon in the long history of Iranian music. Others maintain that the structure of Radif has survived since the pre-Islamic Sassanid dynasty and has been transmitted through an oral tradition, much like the links of a long chain, from one generation to the next. The latter interpretation seems more plausible, as the names of many melodies and songs in the current collection also appear in the poetry and literature of the Sassanid and later periods.

The Radif available today is largely the result of the efforts of Mirza Abdollah, together with the work of his brother, Mirza Hosseingholi. These two masters of the Qajar period learned the Radif tradition from their uncle, Agha Gholamhossein, and, in turn, trained such masters as Ali Akbar Shahnazi, Noor Ali Borumand, Saeed Hormozi, and Yousef Forutan. This history has been documented by Ruhollah Khaleghi.

As mentioned earlier, Radif is a collection of Dastgahs, Maghams, Gushehs, and Halats, along with their performance techniques, that have been transmitted to us from the distant past. Some of these musical pieces, because of their inherent technical difficulties and, at times, a lack of artistic creativity on the part of musicians, have not been performed frequently enough in public to attain the degree of popularity necessary for their survival. Others, however, because of their relative closeness to the musical tastes and aesthetic sensibilities of contemporary audiences, have attained a certain stature that ensures their continued survival. One must also not overlook the influence of Western culture and values in reshaping society's musical tastes as a consequence of increasing exposure to these influences since the nineteenth century.

Prior to the Islamic Revolution of Iran in 1979, a major effort was underway, largely through the work of the renowned master Noor Ali Borumand, to revive this body of musical tradition and heritage. That revival suffered an inevitable setback amid the tumultuous events of the Revolution. However, in recent years, renewed efforts have shown promise in reinvigorating the interrupted revival of the Radif tradition.

What follows is a brief description of Radif and its structural subdivisions (Dastgah, Magham, Gusheh, Avaz, Tekkeh, and Ghat'eh). In addition, Halat, the unquantifiable quality of musical performance or the particular feeling evoked by the music, is briefly discussed.

What Is Radif?

Radif refers to the organization and utilization of musical intervals, embodied in different melodic lines and various rhythmic patterns, as codified and transmitted by earlier masters in such a way that the theoretical principles of the Dastgah system are not violated.

Radif evolves according to the musical tastes of successive generations of masters and the formal and informal cultural practices of their time. Thus, each master reinterprets Radif based on what has been learned from an earlier master, together with the master's own additions and interpretations.

Dastgah

Dastgahs are the most important structural elements of Radif and are formed through combinations of various Maghams (modes), each with its own melodic lines and rhythmic patterns.

A Dastgah usually consists of several Maghams, of which the first is of particular importance, as it contains the initial tetrachord of the Dastgah to which the musical composition must return. This return to the initial tetrachord of the Dastgah is called Foroud (literally, "landing") and is essential because it reaffirms the qualities and characteristics of the original Magham.

Gusheh

The term Gusheh was introduced by Iranian musicians nearly a century ago to replace the Arabic term Magham. However, because it was frequently used to refer to any melodic construct, regardless of its size or scale structure, it failed to replace the term Magham.

Instead, it is now used as a generic term for any melodic expression within a Magham. The introduction of Gusheh into the terminology of Iranian classical music reflects the preference among musicians of the past century for terminology of Persian origin.

Avaz or Avazeh

This term refers to a collection of notes within a Magham that does not necessarily begin on the first note of the Magham and may sometimes be limited to only four or five notes. Examples include Avazeh Dashti, Avazeh Abuata, and Avazeh Bayate Tork.

For this reason, an Avaz is considered a derivative of a Magham and does not possess the same structural integrity. The arrangement of musical intervals within an Avaz must derive from an existing Magham or Dastgah.

An Avazeh such as Bayate Tork, whose intervals do not correspond exactly to those of a known Magham, extends the above definition of Avaz and presents a theoretical difficulty for scholars seeking to establish a consistent definition.

Tekkeh

Tekkeh refers to a Gusheh capable of establishing an independent identity within the context of a Dastgah, such as Tekkeh Shahnaz in Dastgah-e Shur.

Tekkeh did not attain a recognized theoretical status among musicians of the Qajar period and, consequently, is rarely used by contemporary musicians.

Ghat'eh

Ghat'eh is the generic term for a complete and independent melody capable of being performed instrumentally or vocally. A Ghat'eh remains within its original mode and does not modulate to other modes.

Examples of Ghat'eh include Shahabi and Sadri, both of which have been transcribed in the Radif of the renowned master Saba.

Halat

Halat refers to the quality of musical expression that arises from the musician's inherent artistic sensibility and the influence of earlier learning experiences.

Halat also distinguishes the music of one culture from that of another. For example, Halat differentiates Arab, Turkish, and Iranian music despite the considerable similarities in their musical intervals.

The Halat of Iranian classical music is deeply influenced by the country's artistic and literary traditions. This influence, sometimes explicit and sometimes implicit, is evident in all forms of art and contributes to the development of distinct artistic schools, each with its own intricacies.

In music, perhaps more than anything else, the linguistic characteristics of a culture, including its patterns of intonation, accent, and stress, have played a particularly influential role.