The Revival of Iranian Classical Music During the Second Pahlavi Period: the Influence of the Politics of “Iranian-Ness”
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The Revival of Iranian Classical Music during the Second Pahlavi Period: The Influence of the Politics of “Iranian-ness” by Hamidreza Salehyar A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Department of Music University of Alberta © Hamidreza Salehyar, 2015 Abstract This thesis demonstrates the process of the gradual formation and development of revivalist ideas in Iran’s musical society during Muhammad-Reza Pahlavi’s reign (1941 - 1979). Examining multiple articulations of Iranian nationalism, this research focuses on three different historical periods—from the late nineteenth century to 1941, from 1941 to 1953, and from 1953 to 1979—to demonstrate how different nationalisms influenced Iran’s music scene and encouraged a return to the Qajar musical tradition. Introducing dominant discourses on Iranian classical music from the 1920s to the 1970s as reflected in publications, this study traces the development of these discourses to explain the gradual emergence and maturation of revivalist ideas and practices within musical society pre-1979 Iran. This thesis argues that Ali-Naqi Vaziri’s students, including Ruhullah Khaliqi and Mehdi Barkechli, provided necessary practical and intellectual prerequisites for the revival of Iranian classical music during the mid-late 1940s. From the mid-1950s, the first generation of Iranian musicologists and ethnomusicologists also acknowledged the significance of Iran’s musical traditions. The efforts of all these musicians attracted the support of the state after the 1953 coup. The state’s cultural policies, which were motivated by political concerns for authenticating the Iranian monarchy, encouraged the celebration of Iran’s cultural heritage. Concurrently, the social, cultural, and political crises motivated some musicians to advocate for Iranian classical music as an antidote to perceived cultural and political corruption. While Daryush Safvat interpreted the music as a mystical practice to challenge emerging commercialism, Muhammad-Reza Lutfi employed Iranian classical music in his innovative works as a form of political resistance against the state. Thus, from the mid-1950s to the mid- ii 1970s, the state and its critics encouraged the revival of Iranian classical music while pursuing their own objectives. iii Dedication To my father and my mother, lifelong mentors and examples of generosity and love; and to Maryam, my constant friend and companion iv Acknowledgments I would like to offer my thanks to my supervisor Dr. Michael Frishkopf who has immensely supported and encouraged me from the first steps of my graduate studies at the University of Alberta. Throughout the course of this research, his invaluable guidance and his careful comments opened new perspectives for my research. Thanks also to committee members, Dr. Maryam Moshaver, Dr. Mojtaba Mahdavi, and Dr. David Gramit, for their support during various stages of this work. Dr. Moshaver has always been generous in providing scholarly and intellectual support during my graduate studies; in particular, her precise intellectual guidance, her careful reading, and her detailed comments on this thesis provided me an invaluable opportunity for learning. Dr. Mahdavi’s comments on this thesis also broadened my analytical view and provided me a deeper understanding of theoretical issues. I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. Regula Qureshi, whose scholarly and intellectual precision has always been a source of inspiration; the topic of this thesis was also derived from discussions in her course Music and Identity. I would like to thank my friends and colleagues at the University of Alberta, especially Mahsa Pakravan, Stephen Kuntz, and Sean Luyk, for their invaluable support throughout the course of this project. I also appreciate the support of the Rutherford Library staff whose contributions enriched my research. I am greatly indebted to my family, especially my father, Hossein Ali Salehyar, my mother, Haqiqeh Shaterian, and my brothers, Mohammad Hossein and Amir Hossein, for their generous and boundless support during my graduate studies. In particular, I am deeply grateful to my wife, Maryam Gholami, for her tremendous patient, understanding, and generosity all along the way. v Table of Contents Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... ii Dedication ..................................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................................... v Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................... vi Notes on Translations, Transliterations, and Persian Dates .................................................. viii Glossary of Terms ......................................................................................................................... x Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose of the Study ................................................................................................................... 1 Defining Music Revivals ............................................................................................................. 2 Defining Tradition ....................................................................................................................... 7 Defining Modernity vs. Multiple Modernities .......................................................................... 10 Defining Iranian Nationalism .................................................................................................... 12 Framing the Nationalist Narrative: A History of Iran ............................................................... 16 The Pre-Islamic Period: The Emergence of Iranian Empires ................................................ 17 The Islamic Period: Occupation, Disintegration, and Reunification ..................................... 19 The Qajar Period: Encounter with Modernity ....................................................................... 21 The Source of “Authenticity”: The Qajar Musical Tradition .................................................... 23 Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 24 Outline of the Thesis ................................................................................................................. 29 Chapter One: Background to Dominant Discourses in the Second Pahlavi Period ............. 31 The Ideology of Modern Iranian Nationalism........................................................................... 32 The Nationalist Cultural Agenda............................................................................................... 40 Crafting the Musical Counterpart of Modern Iranian Nationalism ........................................... 42 Ali-Naqi Vaziri: Systematizing Iranian Classical Music ...................................................... 43 Ghulam-Hussein Minbashian: Advocating for Musiqi-yi Ilmi .............................................. 52 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 56 Chapter Two: The Evolution of the Concept of Modernization............................................. 60 The Period of Emerging Nationalist Consciousness in the Iranian Public ............................... 61 vi Conflicts in Iranian Musical Society ......................................................................................... 65 Parviz Mahmoud: Folk Tunes as Representative of Iran’s Ancient Culture ......................... 68 Ruhullah Khaliqi: Acknowledging the significance of the Musical Tradition ...................... 74 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 86 Chapter Three: The Authentication of Iranian Classical Music ............................................ 88 The Monarchy as the Representation of the Iranian Nation ...................................................... 89 Promoting Iranian Classical Music as Iran’s National Heritage ............................................. 101 Mehdi Barkechli: Authenticating Iranian Classical Music .................................................. 103 Background to Mehdi Barkechli’s Historical Narrative .................................................. 108 Constructing the Historical Background of Iranian “Authentic” Music .......................... 120 Zaven Hacobian: Challenging the Universality of Western Techniques ............................ 134 The Radif of Iranian Music: Constructing a Musical Heritage ........................................... 144 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 149 Chapter Four: Musical Responses to Socio-Cultural Crises ................................................ 152 The Legitimacy Crisis of Official Discourses ......................................................................... 153 Popular Music in Media and Its