Modernization of Iranian music during the reign of Reza Shah

Keivan Aghamohseni

Introduction

The reign of Reza Shah is considered a turning point in the social and political history of Iran. This period was characterized by the implementation of a comprehensive modernization program, which left its mark on a vast number of social and cultural aspects of Iranian life, including music. The modernization of Iranian music during the first Pahlavi era comprised certain attempts to free this music from its traditional form and content and bring it closer to the structure of European classical music. One can identify intellectual trends which must be considered as pro-Western rather than modernist, because their main objective was to fully eliminate Iranian music and replace it with European music. Also, regardless of the technical discussions about music and whether or not the Modernizers believed in the transformation of traditional forms of Iranian music, modernization represents certain thoughts that tried, by way of imitation from Western societies, to give a totally new definition of the place of music in Iranian society. In addition to pro-Western and modernist trends of thought, Iranian music in its then prevailing structure and form went through a natural evolution that was caused by the changing social conditions in Iran. The present study begins with reviewing the situation of Iranian music during the late Qajar period before the reign of Reza Shah, then discusses the modernization trends in Iranian music, and finally reflects on the degree of acceptance of these trends by the Iranian society at large during the Reza Shah period.