From: mhz@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Mariam Hakim-Zargar)
Subject: Re: String instruments in Iran
Reply-To: MHz@nwu.edu (Mariam Hakim-Zargar)
Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 19:56:47 GMT

In article <lftrssINNipa@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM> of soc.culture.iranian,
  smortaz@handel.Eng.Sun.COM (Shahrokh Mortazavi) writes:
> In article <1992Nov5.213447.23441@news.acns.nwu.edu> MHz@nwu.edu (Mariam Hakim-Zargar) writes:
> >
> >	It has been recorded that there were several bowed instruments
> >developed in Iran.  For instance, during the _SAsAni_ dynasty (what is 
> >that called in English?), 
> 
> theyre called the sasanid empire.

Thank you :)  since you seem to know these things what is the HakhAmaneshi
dynasti called in English?

> 
> a bowed instument called _ghazhak_ (today known
> >as _gheychak_) was quite popular.  This instrument's popluarity seemed to
> >die becuase evidently the players were not very skilled, so it never 
> >really caught on (Or at least that is what Mr. Rouholla KhAleghi says in
> >his book: _Nazari be Mousighi, bakhsheh dovvom_).
> 
> plausible...  although i dont see how if it became quite popular if
> musicians werent skilled on it.  i suppose it died gradually when its
> sound/music wasnt fashionable.  history is certainly full of these types
> of instruments (ask seyed about the guillotine)!

I think he meant that the instrument came about (he does not say how or from
where), but the people who started playing them, despite the initial hype over
the instrument, never mastered them; so as a result they lost popularity. 
Also, as you say, maybe the masters died out, or maybe this instrument was not
actually developled in persian, and was hard to get people to get used to
listening to a new instrument: who knows?  Any comments? Does anyone know of
any archeological facts in this matter?

> >	You said something to the effect that the cello has such a deep 
> >mellow tone which suits persian music.  I would like to take a step back 
> >and mention that Iranian music has not always had the "sad" tone it has 
> >today.  Before the Arab invasion, the persians had a very "happy" music, 
>  	 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~	
> 
> aakh, nagoo aabjee!  a lot more things were in a "happier" state before

> the invasion of the body (and soul) snatchers.
> 
> >something like the Turkish music of today.  So for that music, an
> >instrument like the cello would not at all be suitable (though a violin 
> >would).                   
> >After the arab invasion, music was totally (and I mean totally) 
> >outlawed, becuase it was primarily associated with the _eish-o-noush_ 
> >of the kings.  So the musicians were forced to hide their insrtuments 
> >(which would be hard for a cello ;-) and had to take refuge in dark, 
>   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 
> :) (unless it had a couple of sikhs of kabaab on it!).

Then you'd be taking a risk of loosing it! ;-)

> >dismal graveyards, (and other such secluded places), where they could not
> >be heard...
> >in this manner the _ostAd_s continued to teach the music to
> >their students.  They spent their hours in dark, damp, and most often 
> >lonely, secluded areas, playing away at their instruments, keeping the 
> >music alive; but, they could not help the effect of the opression, and thus 
> >the music became so _souznAk_ or sad.  
> 
> an interesting hypothesis.  our music certainly leans toward the souznaak
> and melancholy side.
> 
> >yourself: I am sure there are many other explanations out there as well.
> 
> how about the fact that they are difficult to build?  when were violins
> introduced to iran anyway?  1500/1600's?

That is also a good point.  Though if the persians were to come up with an
instrument on their own, I would doubt that they would come up with something
like the cello.  The Persians were very delicate people, and something of that
size just doesnt strike me as something they would build.  Persian were more
into _rizeh kari_ and I dont believe they would like to even handle a _khers_
instrument, if you know what I mean... also the sound was not appropriate for
the _shAd_ music of the time; there was no use for that deep of a tone! 

If you look at the persian instruments, there are no very big ones at all! 
Nothing like a cello... It's something to think about..  I'm not sure there
would have been any problem building the instrument.. After all they did build
violins in Iran.  Speaking of violins, I'm not sure when they were first
introduced, the oldest I've seen (and I havent seen many) is one given to me
by my uncle which was built in about 1840's in EsfahAn.  Though I guess they
could have been introduced in the 1600's ..but I really don't know.
> 

BA sepAs!
May your music synthesized nagardad!

					MHz